THE NORTHWEST Regional Airport has officially had its busiest year ever.
As of the end of November, 128,483 passengers passed through its doors with one month left to go in the year.
“November and December are traditionally slower months, but I predict we'll break 139,000,” said airport manager Carmen Hendry of his expectations for the year.
The last busiest year on record was 2007 with 122,070 passengers.
A surge in northwestern construction projects, lead chiefly by the rebuild by Rio Tinto Alcan of its Kitimat aluminum smelter, has pushed up numbers.
November 2012 passenger totals alone numbered 11,656, the first time the 10,000 mark was surpassed in the past 10 years.
In 2011, the passenger total stood at 120,384.