Vancouver International Airport (YVR) executives have begun to explore ways to develop air-to-marine terminals in the Lower Mainland and other parts of B.C.

The effort is designed to enhance the movement of people and goods between YVR and other parts of the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and beyond while avoiding more road congestion.

“We know that we already have significant issues with congestion in the Lower Mainland and YVR is next to communities, schools, shopping districts, where it wouldn’t be appropriate to put that volume of trucks,” said Tamara Vrooman, the Vancouver airport’s CEO.

“So, we’re starting some early thinking about: Could we have one of the first air-to-marine terminals where we could take [air] cargo and move it directly to a marine environment, either ocean or river??”

Vrooman’s comments came during a news conference Thursday at YVR, where she and B.C. Premier David Eby signed a memorandum of understanding whereby YVR and the province will collaborate with Indigenous partners, communities and the aviation and aerospace industry to deliver new products, projects and activities.

YVR lies beside the Pacific Ocean and the mouth of the Fraser River, which flows directly and via tributaries across B.C.

Initially, the province will provide YVR with $875,000 in funding for three key projects designed to support the aviation sector. One project is a $250,000 study designed to improve the flow of goods and people, facilitate multi-modal access and increase the resilience of supply chains.

In Europe, Vrooman noted, a number of electronic and battery-operated barges move up and down rivers and canals to deliver cargo to their destinations.

“We also know through our colleagues at the B.C. Aviation Council that there’s a number of smaller airports, be it Pitt Meadows or Abbotsford or others in the eastern Fraser Valley that also have access to a shorter road or river waterways, where taking cargo from YVR and getting it directly to those points would avoid all of that ground transportation in the middle.”

The BCAC strives to be a positive influence on the aviation and aerospace sector in partnership with supporters, partners, communities and governments. The council’s members include airports as well as aviation and aerospace companies and personnel, among others.

The province will also provide YVR with $250,000 for a sustainable-fuel opportunities study and $375,000 to support the creation of a net-zero airports action plan to outline carbon-reduction efforts across the B.C. airport network.

YVR is the first airport in Canada to commit to being net-zero by 2030 and will help all other B.C. airports achieve that goal.

Pictured: B.C. Premier David Eby and YVR CEO Tamara Vrooman at a news conference Thursday

Photo: Sukhwant Dhillon