Air Canada, West Jet 'upsizing' planes as business soars at Sudbury Airport

The Greater Sudbury Airport is seeing its travel numbers take off this year, posting a 29 per cent increase in the number of travellers using the terminal.

It's encouraging news for travellers in the north, whorecently saw the loss of Porter from North Bay.

CEO Todd Tripp, who took over operation of the Sudbury airport in September, 2016, says the numbers reflect both incoming and outgoing passengers. Business and leisure flights saw a spike, and August usually bringsreturning students.

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Although the increase in travel likely is influenced by several factors, Tripp said air carriers have responded to the trend by upsizing their aircraft and aiming for more reliable schedules for travellers.

"Air Canada have had a Dash 8 (100) and now they're using a Q-400 on a second morning departure, which has been very helpful for us," Tripp said.

"You've got West Jet now with three flights a day as opposed to the one that they had back in the early part of the year."

"You've got the standard reliability of Bearskin which is operating throughout the north, and then we have Porter that's doing very well to the [Toronto] Island," he added.

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Tripp said that air carriers are noticing the "good product" at the airport, and they're stepping up to assist.

"It's all about the business of running a business and you need the people to be using your business in order to be successful," he said.

But Tripp said he's not satisfied with the good news.

"We can't sit back and wait, we've got to go after the business and make sure that the traveling public has the options that they're looking for to get to where they need to for either leisure or for business."

Next on the wish list, Tripp said is expanded destinations from the terminal, including the western provinces.