Video transcript

At any given hour, Thunder Bay's skyline is abuzz with planes taking off and landing. Some are small jets flying away to remote northern towns, while others are large 747s coming in from urban cities such as Toronto or Vancouver. But whether departing or arriving at the city's international airport, passengers on any flight can count on a travel experience designed with their ease of use in mind.

"This year we will see 700,000 passengers in and out of the airport," says Scott McFadden, CEO of the Thunder Bay International Airport Authority. "We're sort of the hub of North Western Ontario."

And with such a large amount of people moving through the airport regularly, and all of varying abilities, Scott says it's imperative that the space be accessible to everyone.

On that front, the Thunder Bay International Airport Authority leadership has made great efforts to remove physical barriers in their airport terminal. They’ve incorporated features that make it easier for customers to get around and access the services they need. And it would seem they've nearly covered it all, from motion activated sliding doors, accessible passenger loading bridges for aircraft, large-screen flight information display systems with contrasting colours, to way-finding carpet, Braille signage, TTY phones and lowered customer service counters.

Margaret Rooney, Commercial Specialist for the airport, says the goal is to make every customer's experience as easy and stress-free as possible.

"When people are moving through an airport, for many it can be a challenging experience, it can be overwhelming," explains Margaret. "So anything we can do to make it easier for the user, whether it's a person with a disability or a person without a disability, we want to make it the best experience."

Another very important way the airport is creating positive experiences for their customers is by providing exceptional service to them. All airport staff, from frontline customer service representatives to security, have undergone special training that teaches them how to interact and communicate with people of any ability.

Margaret says that educating staff about different needs and how to meet them is essential in removing barriers for travellers at the airport.

"We want to make sure we incorporate the needs of all of our customers," she explains, "and training our personnel is a key factor in that."

Scott adds that for busy hubs such as airports, being accessible to everyone only makes sense.

"Everyone needs to travel," he explains. "And air travel, especially in and out of a region like Thunder Bay, is really the only viable means of quick transportation. So making it accessible to as many people as possible is certainly a worthy goal."

A worthy goal undoubtedly, and in this case, a worthy goal achieved.