The Airfield Regional Initiative, also abbreviated as ARI, is an economic action plan implemented by the Gravenhurst Regional government in September 2006, as an effort to stimulate the construction sector of the economy, and to relieve overcrowding in Archemedes the Great International Airport.
Prior to 2004, the region had only two airports serving a population over 600,000. One of the airports is a municipal airport, and cannot sustain a massive population. This eventually caused overcrowding in the Archemedes the Great International Airport.
The regional government, in 2004, discussed the possibilities of building airfields for remote cities (far away from Archemedes the Great International Airport). The government identified the location (as seen in the below section) to build various airfields, municipal and international airports.
Locations[]
Phase 1[]
The Phase 1 construction began in 2006, and scheduled to be completed by 2010.
- The enlargement / relocation of Archemedes the Great International Airport (AGIA) - Already completed and opened in April 2009.
- Lethbridge - Warshaw Municipal Airport (LWMA) - Completed. Scheduled to be opened in mid-2010.
- Lydia Airfield (LA) - Completed. Opened on April 2, 2010.
- Mapleview Municipal Airport (MMA) - Under constructions. Opening date by late 2010 to early 2011.
- Vandehogan International Airport (VIA) - Already Completed and Opened in September 2009.
Phase 2[]
The Phase 2 construction will begin in 2010, and scheduled to be completed by 2013. Government officials are still looking for, and identifying, the locations for some of the airfields listed below.
- Caledonia Airfield (CA)
- The enlargement of Lethbridge - Warshaw Municipal Airport (LWMA) - Scheduled to be transformed into an International Airport
- Lisi Municipal Airport (LMA)
- Brock Municipal Airport (BMA)
- The enlargement of Sussex - Valleydale Municipal Airport (SVMA)