PORT HASTINGS: The CEO of EverWind Fuels says a local airport needs to have the infrastructure in place that can accommodate emergency response aircraft year-round.
In a phone interview with The Reporter, Trent Vichie, who has been investing heavily in the region since 2021, when he acquired the Point Tupper Terminal to be the centerpiece of a global scale green energy hub, suggested the next phase of enhancements is now well underway.
Highlighting over $2 million of investment, which features the construction of the first large aircraft hangar, aptly named Hangar 1.
“So you can keep the plane out of the elements, and there are no implications due to climate conditions,” Vichie said. “It allows for the aircraft to be parked securely indoors and away from the extreme weather that can cause damage to delicate instruments and expensive engines.”
The 10,000 square foot hangar is expected to bring increased traffic to the airport both in the existing tourist season as well as during winter months.
Vichie explained it will be a welcome relief for emergency services such as EHS Lifeflight and the Canadian Coast Guard to be able to park mid-sized aircraft, such as Bombardier Challenger business jets that frequently visit Cape Breton, inside, away from ice and snow, allowing for those assets to be positioned in the Quad Counties area when needed.
With the access road built and building site leveled, construction of the concrete substructure is now almost complete. The engineered concrete floor is next and the floor and civil work around the new building is expected to be completed by mid-July.
Steel is planned to be delivered around that time with the building slated for completion in late August.
As the gateway into Cape Breton and Northern Nova Scotia, the Allan J. MacEachen Airport in Port Hastings welcomes and supports emergency services, tourism, and businesses from near and far into the region, with the number of flights reaching record highs in 2022.
So far, 2023 is shaping up to be even busier.
“We’re pouring concrete, and making progress in getting that thing done,” Vichie said. “One of the reasons we’ve done this project, is the safety issue. When I heard you cannot land emergency response aircraft at the airport in the wintertime because of lack of facilities to operate – that was a pretty big deal.”
He explained he couldn’t imagine having to think of the fact; there may have been occasions people who have experienced medical emergencies have had to drive three hours to a hospital as the crucial service was previously unavailable.
“In some cases it could make the difference between life and death,” Vichie said. “
With the initial goal of providing enhanced year-round operations to aircraft coming to the area for golf tourism, Celtic Air Services is entering its sixth year of operations of the airport.
The airport operations company is now co-owned by Dave Morgan and Vichie, a partnership that’s paying early dividends.
Celtic Air Services has also acquired additional equipment to ensure aircrafts can safely land and depart in winter conditions, adding a Vammas Runway Sweeper to their fleet of winter runway maintenance gear, a fuel truck with an anti-icing additive injector onboard, and a new, towable, enhanced de-icer for aircraft as well.
When asked how crucial it was to add these piece of equipment, Vichie suggested it’s going to make the difference in being able to operate in the winter and not.
As industry drives growth in air travel to the region, the airport is well positioned to safely accommodate further growth as well as entertaining four-season operations.