Calgary International Airport, or “YYC” (its international aeronautical designation) is located 14 km (about 25 minutes) from downtown. The Air Terminal Complex was built relatively recently on the land that used to be known as McCall field (with the old terminal off McKnight Boulevard, where the corporate South Hangers are located).
The airport is situated in the city’s northeast, accessible from south parts of town via Deerfoot Trail to Airport Trail, from the Northwest via Country Hills Boulevard, and from the Northeast via Barlow Trail. The airport is connected to public transit via route 57 (which connects to the Whitehorn LRT route), and has shuttle bus service to the downtown (connecting to intercity busses).
Services & Shopping at the Airport
The airport has won numerous international awards for user-friendliness, layout, and in-terminal shopping and functionality. The airport has magnificent views of the mountains and the city’s downtown, poking high up out of the river valley (the best views are from Terminal D, or from the food court level),
The airport has 4 wings, A, B, C for domestic flights, D & E for US departures and international flights.
There are two shopping concourses, one between terminals A and B, and one inside Terminal D, and there are several restaurants on the departures level, and a food court on the third level, accessible via escalator or elevator.
Other airport facilities include two hotel (Delta Calgary Airport, across from Terminal C and the new Marriott above Terminal D&E), a SpacePort with 1/4 scale model space shuttle and other diversions, a video arcade, oxygen bar, therapeutic massage, tourist information kiosk, a Mailboxes Etc (office supplies, mailing), a hair salon, a dry cleaner, a shoe shine,a non-denominational chapel, and even a pet exercise area, and US customs pre-clearing for travel to American destinations.
There is a lot of development happening at the airport, and the newly expanded terminal D. The work is funded by a $10 airport improvement fee, which (unlike for Edmonton’s and Vancouver’s airports) is already included in the airline ticket price.
Airport Parking & Transportation
The airport has both short term (metered) and long term parking for 2,600 vehicles. Rates run $1.75 per 30 minutes up to $12.25 per 24 hour period, with $2 evening parking (5:30 to midnight),and plenty of satellite parking including “Park & Jet” and “Park ‘n’ Fly”.
You can catch taxis conveniently from any exit from the terminal. Ground transportation kiosks (for buses) are inside the terminal building, and the car rental centre is across from the arrivals level, beside the parkade.
From the airport, the best way into town is by taxi (costing $33-38 to downtown) You can also rent-a-car (cost varies). If you are planning to
stay in downtown Calgary itself, everything is close together and a short walk from the core. There are two Calgary Transit bus lines that server the airport #300 ($10 one way) and the #100 (connecting to the Northeast/Blue LRT or the #301 North Express Bus
Budget Travellers
For those on a tight budget, you can take public transit: Catch the Calgary Transit bus #100 from the airport the McKnight-Westwinds Station (as of March 14m, 2011) on the North east “C-Train” light rail transit to downtown, connecting to the city’s south and northwest quadrants. Regular transit fares apply ($3.50 in 2020).
Greyhound NO LONGER serves western Canada, but there are shuttle buses to nearby towns, the mountains, and form downtown scheduled bus service to Fort McMurray, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge.