Charlottetown Airport renamed after former premier, $14M announced for port

An Air Canada employee drives equipment from infront of an Air Jazz flight at the airport in Charlottetown on Wednesday May 26, 2004. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

CHARLOTTETOWN — Prince Edward Island’s only commercial airport is being renamed to pay tribute to the province’s longest-serving premier.

The rebranded Charlottetown Alexander B. Campbell Airport is named for the lawyer who was first elected Liberal premier at age 32 and is widely considered to be the Island’s most transformative leader.

In a statement, federal Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon said Campbell strengthened Prince Edward Island’s economy and modernized its infrastructure.

Campbell, who attended Monday’s announcement at the YYG Charlottetown Airport, served as premier between 1966 to 1978, the year he was named to the provincial Supreme Court. During his 12-year tenure as premier, Campbell oversaw the introduction of public health care to Islanders, construction of the province’s main hospital and a major 15-year economic growth plan with the federal government.

Former P.E.I. premier Wade MacLauchlan, who wrote a biography about Campbell, says the rebranding of YYG shows how consequential the Liberal premier was.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, MacLauchlan, who is chancellor at the University of New Brunswick, said Campbell’s Liberal government overhauled the education system during a time when some students were still in single-room schoolhouses.

“There were a number of significant steps taken then and that was especially an important time of nation-building and constitution-making at the national level, and Campbell was a real contributor,” he said.

MacLauchlan, who also attended Monday’s announcement, said Campbell, now in his early 90s, said he hoped his namesake airport would have many timely departures.

MacKinnon also announced federal backing for technology that he says will attract more cruise ships -- and therefore more tourists -- to the Island.

Ottawa will provide up to $14.3 million to the Charlottetown Harbour Authority for infrastructure that will allow ocean ships to turn off their engines while docked and connect to the local electricity grid.

“Cruise lines look for this kind of infrastructure … they pay to use this service, of course. It’s cheaper than burning fuel while they’re at dock,” MacKinnon told The Canadian Press.

“So it’s an important component in how they assess and evaluate destinations.”

Officials say the upgrades will help reduce the transportation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions and are part of a broader international effort agreed to by the G7 alliance in 2023 to create more green shipping corridors. There was no timeline given for the installations.

By Eli Ridder

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2026.