Calgary airlines

Parking

The Calgary International Airport offers three convenient parking options - Short Term for quick visits to the Airport, hourly, daily and weekly parking in the Parkade and an Overheight parkingarea for oversize vehicles. Valet parking is also available on the departures level roadway.

Parking Peak Periods - Advice to Travellers

With current record-setting air travel volumes, vehicle parking at Calgary International Airport's terminal parkade can reach its maximum capacity during peak periods. The busiest periods are generally Wednesday and Thursday each week and over long-weekends. When the terminal parkade reaches capacity, alternate surface parking facilities are made available. Use of the alternate facilities will result in some additional time or inconvenience walking to or from the terminal building.

Travellers are encouraged to allow additional time during peak periods. During peak periods, alternative public transportation alternatives such as metered taxi, flat rate sedan or shared ride shuttle service should be considered.

Airport History

Calgary's first airfield opened in 1914. Located in Bowness, ten kilometres west of the city, it featured a grass airstrip and a ramshackle hut which served as a hangar and a terminal building. Subsequently, two other sites served as the city's airport, until the facility moved to its present location in the northeast portion of the city in 1939.
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The new airport was christened McCall Field, in honour of Captain Fred McCall, a World War I flying ace and one of the city's pioneer aviators. Covering an area of one square mile, the airport was originally owned and operated by the City of Calgary, but was taken over by the federal Department of Transport in 1940 to serve the war effort. The City resumed control of the facility in 1949, at which time the assets included four runways and five wartime hangars. Service gradually expanded, until a new terminal building became an absolute necessity. In 1956, Canada's most modern air terminal opened, located in the southwest corner of the airport.
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Five years later, the jet age arrived and the terminal became effectively obsolete, despite five different expansions over the years. By 1966 it became apparent that the City did not have the resources to construct the required new terminal, so it sold the facility to the federal government for two million dollars and a commitment to construct a new building and generally upgrade the entire airport. About this time, the name McCall Field fell into disuse, and the facility became commonly known as Calgary International Airport.

Transport Canada launched an ambitious program of land acquisition and road and airfield construction, and in November 1977 the new terminal building was opened. This milestone ushered in the modern era of aviation in Calgary.

As the airport has grown, a diverse range of activity has appeared. Calgary International is now a key hub for regional, national, and international air traffic. Air cargo activity is becoming an important component of the airport's business, and the facility is also the site of approximately 200 independent companies which provide a diverse range of aviation related services. Thousands of people are employed in the city's aviation sector, and the airport contributes hundreds of millions of dollars per year to the local economy.

On July 2, 1992, the Calgary Airport Authority assumed responsibilities for the operation and expansion of the airport. The Authority is committed to maintaining the high level of service for which the facility is renowned.


Today, Calgary International Airport occupies almost eight square miles of land, and the terminal building remains as bold and efficient as the day it opened. A new air traffic control tower and operations building are now operational, a development which will keep Calgary International Airport at the leading edge of Canadian aviation.