The not-for-profit company that runs the Saint John Airport is on the lookout for companions to construct a brand new “logistics park” round its runways.
“It is the chance that is out there to us now as North America redraws its industrial map,” mentioned Sandy Ross, president and CEO.
New operations in Saint John may assist corporations tackle provide chain points which have cropped up in the course of the pandemic, mentioned Ross.
“Air represents an ideal resolution for having the ability to deliver all the things from contemporary produce to issues that have to be delivered in a well timed style, or issues that have to be introduced in and saved after which be delivered shortly to a different market.”
The 2 “large ticket” varieties of operations the airport want to entice are floor transportation and storage and air cargo, he mentioned, including the property would even be appropriate for plane upkeep.
If the imaginative and prescient involves fruition, Ross quipped that it could characterize a “quadfecta” for the town, which already has container visitors shifting by way of by “ocean, highway and rail.”
They may all work collectively, he mentioned, “finishing the image of Saint John as a logistics hub for North America.”
The airport sees this as a extra possible progress alternative than rising passenger visitors, Ross admitted, given the dimensions of the native market and the present market situations, extra broadly talking.
With some airways decreasing their flights to the Maritimes, it is a “powerful time,” for the area’s airports, mentioned Karl Moore, an affiliate professor within the school of administration at McGill College with experience within the aviation trade.
The logistics park is “an excellent thought,” for the Saint John airport, he mentioned.
“It is fairly entrepreneurial of them and intelligent,” mentioned Moore. “I actually just like the can-do entrepreneurial spirit.”
If there are going to be fewer flights, this can be one thing the airport can do to “serve the neighborhood and to pay for itself.”
Moore is not certain some other airports in Canada have a logistics park, however mentioned he is definitely heard of them elsewhere on this planet and seen them “become fairly good for the native financial system.”
He in contrast the idea to the “cluster” of commercial operations across the Montreal airport, the place Bombardier makes government jets, CAE Inc. makes simulators and Air Canada has its company headquarters, for instance.
“It most likely has a superb shot at understanding” in Saint John, he mentioned, however “it definitely can be on a smaller scale.”
Accessing an airport the place planes can land and do issues and take off quickly would enchantment to numerous corporations, mentioned Moore.
And the proximity of the port is “a pleasant one-two mixture.”
“The majority of delivery is finished by sea,” he mentioned, “however if you need one thing quickly, the airport goes to do it.”
Ross estimates there’s potential for tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} value of improvement within the quick time period and a whole lot of thousands and thousands in the long run.
Ultimately, 3,000 jobs may very well be housed there, he mentioned, basing that determine on what he mentioned was the everyday fee for industrial parks in Atlantic Canada of three to 5 jobs per acre and the 650 acres out there.
Step one within the plan has already been achieved, mentioned Ross, and that was getting the Saint John Airport Inc.’s land lease with Transport Canada, which owns the airport, prolonged to the 12 months 2079.
It makes the situation extra engaging to potential tenants, he mentioned, as a result of they’ll unfold out their constructing prices over an extended interval.
In the meanwhile, airport employees are in dialog with a few corporations which may be eager about organising store within the logistics park, mentioned Ross, however he declined to reveal their names citing confidentiality agreements.
Two “small business developments” are within the works now, he mentioned, and may very well be introduced inside about 4 months.
