The Government of Canada is investing up to C$100m in funding under the National Trade Corridors Fund to increase air cargo and logistics handling operations at the Edmonton International Airport (EIA). The project will convert approximately 2,000 acres of land into a new global air cargo handling operation. With this investment, EIA will expand its multimodal distribution throughout Canada, the US, and Mexico. The airport’s increased air cargo capacity is expected to improve the movement of import and export trade routes and strengthen Canada’s supply chain.
Tom Ruth, president, and chief executive, Edmonton International Airport, said: “Cargo and logistics play a major role in our region’s economic growth and development. Increasing air capacity and global market access for exports and trade opportunities is a global game changer. “It drives the growth of small and medium enterprises in Alberta and the rest of Canada, which creates jobs and spurs investment.
Working towards these goals, we are excited to announce the development of the International Cargo Hub. “The Government of Canada’s investment into EIA will help accelerate our plans to position the Edmonton Metropolitan Region as a key multi-modal global logistics hub and vital trade corridor for Canada. This hub will be transformational for the Edmonton Metro Region.”
The National Trade Corridors Fund is designed to help infrastructure owners and users invest in the critical transportation assets that support economic activity in Canada. Under this programme, a total of C$4.6bn over 11 years (2017-2028) has been announced. EIA has also recently announced a collaboration with ZeroAvia to explore opportunities to develop the hydrogen infrastructure required for delivering zero-emission flights and decarbonising ground operations.
