With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games only a few months away, about 2,700 Grade five students from 95 classes throughout Metro Vancouver are being invited to take part in a unique opportunity to learn about the operations of Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

The Future Lands Here program is an educational tour running from now through November as part of Vancouver Airport Authority’s Welcoming the World in 2010 program.

In addition to helping students understand how the airport works, the program also demonstrates how YVR is preparing to welcome athletes, officials and visitors from around the world early next year during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Among the students participating in the program are some Grade 5 students from Betty Huff Elementary, who recently completed their field trip to YVR.

After arriving at the airport on Canada Line, the students were given a close-up look at airport operations including runways, airplanes, radar, rapid transit connections to downtown, baggage screening, art displays and YVR’s preparations for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

“Students are the next generation of travellers and we are really excited to connect them to our airport,” said Anne Murray, vice-president, Community & Environmental Affairs, Vancouver Airport Authority. “Vancouver International Airport is more than a place to fly from – it is a destination.”

YVR expects to welcome more than 17 million passengers in 2010, with an additional 200,000 passengers travelling through YVR in February and March for the 2010 Winter Games.

As many as 80,000 passengers will travel through the airport on peak days during the 2010 Winter Games period.

YVR’s facilities and services offer passengers an outstanding travel experience while its infrastructure allows for the handling of both large and small aircraft movements.