In 2025, global aviation saw record demand across both passenger and cargo markets, reinforcing a strong rebound in air travel. Worldwide passenger demand grew 5.3% year-over-year in 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Canadian air travel saw similar growth, recording a 5.4% increase in domestic travel from the previous year and a 6% growth in international travel.

The numbers underscore a new reality for airport operators: passenger volumes are increasing, but travel patterns are evolving. 

To keep pace and plan for long-term growth, airports must scale infrastructure, optimize passenger flow and upgrade airside operations. As a trusted aviation partner, PCL Construction has delivered more than 500 aviation projects across North America, including ongoing work at airports across Canada that supports phased, long-term growth for airport authorities. This experience positions PCL as a valuable partner, ensuring today’s investments support tomorrow’s demand.

Kelowna International Airport (YLW) undertook its largest infrastructure project to date with a major terminal building expansion designed to support passenger growth and enhance the overall travel experience at B.C.’s second busiest airport.  

The three-year project added 5,590 square meters of new space, including a significantly expanded departures lounge and security screening area, while maintaining full airport operations throughout construction.  

The City of Kelowna, which owns and operates YLW, selected PCL as construction manager (CM), recognizing the team’s deep expertise in complex aviation infrastructure. The selection also reflected PCL’s focus on passenger experience and safety, use of advanced technologies and lean project delivery methods, and its integrated and collaborative approach to preconstruction. 

A defining feature of the expansion project is its contemporary architecture, which incorporates 4,500 square meters of exposed B.C. mass timber to reflect the region’s natural character and the airport’s commitment to sustainability. The project team selected mass timber for its beauty and its environmental benefits. These  include carbon sequestration and lower embodied carbon than traditional construction materials.   

Drawing on experience from previous mass timber projects, including the award-winning  Limberlost Place, the YLW team employed advanced 3D modeling, detailed moisture management plans and sequencing strategies to reduce installation risk during the wet winter months.   

Having worked with mass timber previously, Project Superintendent Dave Crowe was confident in partnering with mass timber manufacturer Kalesnikoff to prefabricate the cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated (Glulam) cassette panels in their facility, then deliver them to site.  

“We craned in 44 primary beams and 177 cassettes weighing between 4,200 pounds and 6,000 pounds (two to three tons) each,” says Crowe. “We ensured they came to us wrapped, then we landed them in place, with temporary protection and an air vapour barrier already on top, and then we sealed up the joints. It was a big win to provide that level of efficiency and protection to this architectural highlight.”  

Delivering the expansion adjacent to the existing terminal presented significant logistical challenges. Construction activities had to be tightly sequenced to maintain safety and security, and protect critical airport functions, including gate operations, passenger screening and nearby executive office spaces. The team completed much of the work in off-peak hours with major structural components hoisted over operational areas, requiring extensive coordination with airport operations teams to limit disruptions to travelers.  

The terminal expansion was completed ahead of the original contract schedule, opening to the public in early 2026. The new departures area doubles previous capacity, reduces wait times at security and supports the use of larger aircraft and additional routes, helping position YLW for continued growth. 

When Porter Airlines Macquarie Asset Management established YHU Terminal, they set out to expand Montreal’s Saint-Hubert Airport (YHU) into a commercial passenger hub. Their vision was to deliver a modern, compact and efficient terminal capable of serving millions of travelers each year.

For PCL, delivering that vision meant navigating a complex and quickly evolving project on a fast-tracked timeline.

Airport projects are inherently complex and at YHU the complexity was heightened. Delivered under a construction manager at risk (CMAR) model with a guaranteed maximum price, construction progressed alongside an evolving design. Throughout the project, the PCL team managed more than 1,700 change requests and upwards of 2,000 requests for information, which necessitated detailed resequencing efforts and regular collaborative reviews to communicate potential schedule impacts and mitigate delays.  

Success at YHU came down to one defining factor: collaboration. PCL’s highly integrated delivery model engaged key trade partners early in preconstruction through a design-assist approach. Mechanical, electrical, structural steel and civil teams contributed directly to design support, improving constructability and driving value through the project lifecycle.

“By bringing together the right teams early, aligning stakeholders around shared goals and remaining flexible through delivery, we helped our client navigate the complexities of this project with confidence,” says PCL project manager Carolyne Dugas.

Dugas adds that transparency with the client was also of critical importance. “By openly communicating schedule realities and project risks, our team built trust and aligned expectations early, which created a foundation for a solution-oriented partnership.”

“Throughout our work together, I have found PCL to be an exceptionally professional, positive, and collaborative construction partner,” says YHU Infrastructure Partners Director of Terminal Construction, Michael Lettner. “On a project of significant scale and complexity, challenges are inevitable. What distinguishes a strong construction manager is not the absence of those challenges, but rather how the team responds when they arise. In this regard, PCL has consistently demonstrated an impressive ability to pivot, adapt, and develop practical solutions when faced with complex and unforeseen circumstances and timelines.” 

Despite major project scope additions even after substantial completion, PCL and its partners opened the YHU Terminal at MET after 31 months of construction, providing a new commercial air travel hub that expands routes across Canada and provides a passenger-centric airport experience.

Through this approach, PCL demonstrated how collaborative delivery models can help clients manage uncertainty while maintaining momentum on critical infrastructure.

With travel demand at Calgary International Airport (YYC) forecast to increase by as much as 40% within the next five years, and the original West Runway nearing the end of its service life, Calgary Airports selected PCL’s civil team as construction manager to deliver the West Runway Rehabilitation Project. 

Rehabilitation of the four-kilometer West Runway included excavation, paving, lighting, and modernization, replacing outdated infrastructure — including historic wooden storm pipes from earlier eras — and featured the high-efficiency recycling of materials. The project also included the construction of improved Runway End Safety Areas (RESA).  

Working on an active airfield meant that safety and adhering to schedule were critical. Project success depended on a strong safety record and precise milestone delivery.  PCL achieved both by delivering the project with zero lost-time incidents and achieving targeted milestones at every phase of the project.  

This rehabilitation project was YYC’s largest airside project in an active airfield. PCL’s aviation experts were key to demonstrating that this complex project could be delivered in just two construction seasons without reducing airfield capacity.   

While construction was underway, the City of Calgary restricted the use of potable water for construction activities due to a watermain break in a different part of the city. The YYC and PCL teams quickly adapted by sourcing water from on-site airport retention ponds. PCL constructed temporary access roads to the ponds, allowing work to continue safely and without impacting the schedule.  

Construction also coincided with a busy time at the Calgary airport, as international dignitaries arrived for the G7 Summit, requiring enhanced security protocols and close coordination with YYC operations teams and the G7 planning committee. Through early preconstruction engagement, integrated planning and the use of advanced technology, construction continued without impeding summit activities.  

Throughout the project, PCL worked side-by-side with YYC’s operations teams to ensure efficient security screening for hundreds of daily airside deliveries, optimizing truck cycling and maintaining scheduled material movement in the highly restricted airside space. 

“We’re proud to partner with Calgary Airports,” says Senior Project Manager Jon Stegman. “The collaborative culture between PCL and YYC through a challenging multi-phased delivery timeline enabled rapid decision-making, shared problem-solving and a unified approach to operational continuity.”  

The West Runway reopened to the public on schedule, under budget and with an excellent safety record. The reconstructed runway is built to support at least 40 years of increasing passenger and cargo traffic. 

Projects like these highlight how complex aviation infrastructure should be delivered. Airports operate in dynamic, high-security environments where disruption is not an option. Successful airport construction is rooted in the ability to plan and prepare collaboratively. 

Stegman emphasizes the importance of anticipating and managing change. “At PCL, we see these challenges as opportunities to add value,” he adds. “We proactively identify potential risks, develop multiple contingency plans, and collaborate extensively with partners to ensure every project can proceed smoothly.”

PCL’s integrated buildings and civil infrastructure approach and expertise enable teams to deliver across the full spectrum of aviation work, airside and landside, while safely maintaining operational continuity. As passenger demand continues to grow and evolve, this collaborative approach is essential to helping airport operators scale with confidence.