International terminal improvements to continue over next 2 years, Calgary Airport Authority says

The head of the Calgary Airport Authority says more changes will be coming to the new international terminal over the next two years.

Bob Sartor, CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority, addressed some of the complaints about the new terminal at the authority's annual general meeting Thursday.

• WestJet to launch 'ultra-low-cost' no-frills carrier
• Calgary airport gets boost as De Beers moves charter flights from Edmonton

The new facility opened last fall, but there were complaints from travellers about a lack of seating at the gates, the distance travellers have to go to make their connections, and the fact there are no water fountains.

Sartor says seating has been added. Some water stations have been installed, but the issue will take some time to fix.

"What we're doing is adding not only water fountains but water stations where you can fill a bottle," Sartor says.

"Some of them take time because there's more plumbing to it than I thought," he says.

Sartor also says a number of moving sidewalks are being added to shorten the walking time from one end of the building to the other.

"We will not be finished completely until 2019 because the connectivity program which brings all of the incremental moving sidewalks from the domestic part of the terminal all the way to D and E won't be finished until then," he says.

"We'll open it up in sections but the final section will be in 2019."

Sartor says work is going on this year to extend a new baggage handling system into all areas of the old terminal so it connects better with the new terminal.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Green cart compost bins to roll out this June at southwest homes
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Grizzly bear chases woman and dogs in Banff