B.C.'s provincial government and Vancouver International Airport announced a plan Monday to introduce legislation that will eliminate the jet-fuel tax on international commercial flights.
Eliminating the tax, which costs airlines around $20 million annually, is an initiative designed to increase air travel to YVR.
Larry Berg, president of the Vancouver Airport Authority, called it a major breakthrough.
"It's going to make B.C. and YVR much more competitive in the international global aviation industry. That means more jobs for British Columbians," he said in a press conference Monday.
He said that the main goal -- to make YVR a gateway for flights to Asia -- will be a substantial economic boost to B.C.'s tourism and airline industries.
YVR was Canada's second busiest airport in 2009 and welcomed 16.2 million passengers. Gordon Campbell said that the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games created good momentum for attracting tourism.
"This step would build on the momentum of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games by helping YVR increase international flight frequencies and adding greater passenger capacity," he said in a press release Monday.
The bid to eliminate the jet-fuel tax is subject to the approval of the legislature, as well as YVR and airlines signing international airline agreements that will see the expansion of flights to YVR by 2012.
