CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - Yuriy Burlaka said the approach was a bit bumpy, but the landing was smooth for the first airplane to touch down on the Charlottetown airport’s newly opened and renovated main runway.
“I looked out of the window and I noticed it was a brand-new runway, very nice,” said Burlaka, one of the passengers on the Air Canada Rouge flight from Toronto.
Doug Newson, CEO of the Charlottetown Airport Authority, said it was a nice feeling to see the first plane land on the runway.
“Obviously an exciting day for the airport. It’s been not only six months of intense construction but actually several years of planning that went into today’s opening,” said Newson.
Shortly after the airplane from Toronto landed, a flight to Montreal departed, marking the first airplane to take off on the rehabilitated main runway.
“It’s great to see this day finally arrive and have actual commercial activity.”
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The $18 million main runway rehabilitation project started in mid-April. The work involved paving, grading and drainage improvements, as well as storm water and electrical replacement.
“Very modern, and it will be a very safe runway and will allow us to continue to operate now with two commercially usable runways for the foreseeable future, hopefully without any more major repair work for another 10 or 15 years,” said Newson.
The project also involved work on the runway’s three main taxiways (Alpha, Bravo and Charlie).
Burlaka has been to Charlottetown before for work, but this was the first time he’s flown directly from Toronto.
He said the significance of the landing was announced on the flight about 10 minutes before the plane touched down.
Burlaka joked that his last name will now appear as a part of history.
“It sounds really thrilling,” he said.
