Vancouver International Airport (IATA Airport Code: YVR; ICAO Airport Code: CYVR), is located about 15 kilometres driving distance from downtown Vancouver, British Columbia on Sea Island in Richmond. It is a large and very busy international airport, the second busiest in Canada, with non-stop flights daily to Asia, Europe and Mexico and the Caribbean. There are also many non-stop flights within Canada and the United States. The South Terminal serves regional airlines which fly mostly within British Columbia.

The average cost for a taxi from the airport to downtown Vancouver, where the city's business, entertainment, and financial districts are located, is $25 CAD.

Like at most major Canadian airports, passengers bound for the US go through American customs and immigration prior to boarding their flights. The flight will then be treated as a domestic US flight for practical purposes.

Vancouver International Airport has three terminals: The domestic terminal, which was constructed in 1968 and recently given a top-to-bottom renovation; the International Terminal, which was newly constructed in the early 1990s, and the South Terminal, which is a portion of the original terminal that is still in use. The International and Domestic terminals can effectively be considered to be one building divided into two sections, while the South terminal is located in a remote part of the airport

On September 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks south of the border closed down North American airspace, there was no choice for Vancouver International Airport but to be part of Operation Yellow Ribbon, since it was the only major Canadian airport on the West Coast that could handle the planes, resulting in a huge volume of trans-Pacific traffic being diverted there--34 flights carrying 8,500 passengers--more passengers than any other Canadian airport involved in the operation--coming from Asia to the United States.

Passengers travelling through YVR to destinations outside BC are required to pay an Airport Improvement Fee of $15. Passengers travelling within BC and to Yukon pay only $5. These fees are now included in the price of a ticket.

Domestic Terminal

Vancouver International Airport in 1975

• Air Canada (Canada) (Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Prince George, Saskatoon, Toronto, Whitehorse, Winnipeg)
• Air Canada Jazz (Canada) (Campbell River, Castlegar, Comox, Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Penticton, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Sandspit, Smithers, Terrace, Victoria, Williams Lake)
• Air North (Whitehorse)
• Air Transat (Canada)
• HMY Airways (Honolulu, Kahului, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Toronto)
• Kewlowna Flightcraft Air Charter
• London Air Service
• Northern Thunderbird Air
• Northwest International Airways
• Skyservice (Charters)
• Westjet Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Montreal, Ottawa, Prince George, Saskatoon, Toronto, Winnipeg)
• Zoom Airlines (Glasgow, London Gatwick, Manchester UK)

International Terminal

• Air Canada (United States & International) (Anchorage, Beijing, Boston, Cancun, Denver, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Nagoya, New York Kennedy, Osaka, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, San Diego, San Francisco, Seoul Incheon, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo Narita, Varadero)
• Air Canada Jazz (United States) (Portland, Seattle)
• Air China (Beijing)
• Air Pacific (Honolulu, Nadi)
• Air Transat (International) (Cancun)
• Alaska Airlines (Anchorage, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle)
• Aloha Airlines (Honolulu -- service suspended April 11, 2005)
• America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego)
• American Airlines (Chicago O'Hare, Dallas Ft. Worth)
• British Airways (London Heathrow)
• Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong, New York Kennedy)
• China Airlines (Taipei)
• China Eastern Airlines (Shanghai)
• Continental Airlines (Houston-Bush, Newark)
• Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Salt Lake City)
• EVA Air (Taipei)
• Harmony Airlines (Honolulu, Kahului, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Toronto)
• Horizon Air (Portland, Seattle)
• Japan Airlines (Mexico City, Tokyo Narita)
• KLM (Amsterdam)
• Korean Air (Seoul Incheon)
• Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich)
• Martinair (Amsterdam)
• Mexicana (Mexico City)
• Northwest Airlines (Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis St. Paul)
• Philippine Airlines (Las Vegas, Manila)
• Singapore Airlines (Singapore via Seoul Incheon)
• SkyWest dba Delta Connection (Salt Lake City)
• SkyWest dba United Express (Seattle/Tacoma)
• Thomas Cook Airlines (Charters)
• United Airlines (Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco)

South Terminal

• Amigo Airways (Nanaimo)
• Baxter Aviation (Nanaimo)
• Harbour Air (Ganges Harbour)
• Hawkair (Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Grand Prairie, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Victoria)
• HeliJet (Victoria Inner Harbour, Whistler)
• KD Air (Qualicum Beach)
• Northern Hawk Aviation (Port Hardy, Powell River, Tofino, Trail, Vernon)
• Pacific Coastal Airlines (Anahim Lake, Campbell River, Comox, Cranbrook, Port Hardy, Powell River, Victoria, Williams Lake)
• Regency North Vancouver Air (Tofino)
• Regional1 Airlines (Kelowna, Red Deer)
• Saltspring Air (Ganges Harbour)
• Seair Seaplanes (Ganges Harbour)
• Tofino Air (Gabriola Island)
• West Coast Air (Victoria Inner Harbour)

External link

• Vancouver International Airport Authority