Edmonton air passengers to pay $5 more

Edmonton passengers will pay $5 more to fly out of the international airport starting in January.

Edmonton Airports is hiking the airport improvement fee to$25 on tickets sold on or after Oct. 1 for flights leaving Jan. 1, 2012.

The improvement fee pays forthe Expansion 2012 terminal development project.

Although passenger numbers arerebounding to pre-recession levels, they are not at the level predicted when the expansion was planned, said spokesperson Traci Bednard.

Lower thanforecasted passenger traffic means lowerimprovement fee revenue, she said,so the fee hikewill make upthe shortfall.

The airport will alsobring the airport expansion project at least 25 per cent under budget, said Bednard.

The expansion will add more than a dozen new gates, allowing the airport to accommodate more aircraft which iscriticalin attracting more air service to the region, she said.

Calgary, Toronto and Montreal airports have all previously raised their AIFs to $25, said Bednard.