Skip to content

Whitehorse airport baggage handling to be upgraded

Baggage handling at the Whitehorse airport is getting an upgrade next year.
22354915_web1_200812_YKN_newsBR_baggage_225-wb_1
Baggage handling at the Whitehorse airport is getting an upgrade. Construction will begin this week on a modern system that is scheduled to be completed by March 2021. (Crystal Schick/Yukon News)

Baggage handling at the Whitehorse airport is getting an upgrade next year.

Construction will begin this week on a modern system that is scheduled to be completed by March 2021.

The Yukon government and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority are working together on the upgrade, which is expected to be safer and faster than the current system, according to an Aug. 7 release.

“These upgrades to the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport will improve experiences for visitors and travellers. The new luggage carousel will be able to manage higher volumes of baggage more efficiently, making baggage handling faster, safer and more reliable for passengers,” said Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn in a statement.

A new temporary screening system will stand-in starting Sept. 18 and will remain until construction is complete.

Those planning to board a flight will need to carry their baggage through the terminal a short distance to a separate baggage drop after check-in.

Passengers are being asked to arrive earlier than normal before departure in order to accommodate the new temporary system.

The cost of the project is estimated at around $7 million. Around half that amount is being funded by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

Similar upgrades are taking place in airports across Canada.

Contact Haley Ritchie at haley.ritchie@yukon-news.com