Vancouver International Airport

The City of Vancouver acquires land on Sea Island for aviation purposes, replacing the original grass airstrip at Minoru Park on Lulu Island.

During the Second World War the airport is leased to the federal government and operated as RCAF Station Sea Island, supporting the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan; the nearby town of Burkeville is built to house military personnel and families.

A new main terminal, designed by Vancouver firm Thompson, Berwick and Pratt, opens in 1968 and forms the basis for the airport's later domestic and international terminal expansion.

A second, north runway is completed in 1996, adding capacity for growing transpacific and North American traffic.

The Canada Line rapid-transit line opens in 2009, giving the airport its first direct rail connection to downtown Vancouver, alongside a five-gate C-Pier expansion.

A multi-year westward expansion of International Pier D, begun in 2017, completes in 2021, adding further international gate capacity.

The airport wins the Skytrax award for Best Airport in North America, a title it has now held in most years since 2007, alongside handling around 26 million passengers annually.