As you may already know, the day after the Olympics (March 1) is expected to be the busiest day for the airport ever. Everyone is heading home after the Games, all at once!

So to help out the airport, we have arranged for extended Canada Line service to YVR through the night of Feb 28 and on into March 1. (The airport also has tips for boarding your March 1 flight on time, which includes arriving 4 hours before your flight.)

Here’s the full details of the extended Canada Line service from the press release.

Special all-night service will help move post-Olympics airport passengers from Vancouver

TransLink and Vancouver Airport Authority have arranged for the Canada Line to maintain service from downtown Vancouver to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) throughout the night of February 28th into March 1st. The special all-night service will help move the record number of passengers expected to pass through the airport in the 24 hours following the end of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

All Canada Line stations will remain open between Waterfront and YVR, however the Richmond Stations south of Bridgeport will close as usual overnight. Ten trains, with the capacity to move over 3,300 passengers per hour, will run at six minute intervals.

TransLink will work with the hospitality industry to ensure visitors are aware of the additional rapid transit service to the airport.

March 1 is predicted to be the busiest day in YVR’s history, with up to 39,000 travellers and 77,000 pieces of baggage expected to depart the airport. The Airport Authority has implemented a number of programs to ensure smooth travel through the terminal including increased customer service presence, offsite check-in facilities at the Athlete Villages and an auxiliary terminal on Sea Island. Air travellers are encouraged to check www.yvr.ca for the latest flight information before departing for the airport.

TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis says “All rail rapid transit services are normally shut down for daily maintenance, which is why they do not run 24/7. This is a very special circumstance; with so many people planning to fly out of Vancouver immediately after the games we will leave ten of Canada Line’s trains running while the other ten are prepared for regular service on March 1st,” he says.

Jarvis says the entire transit system, staff and equipment alike, has performed at unprecedented levels during the Games, moving record numbers of passengers. “Maintenance staff has done outstanding work to keep the bus, rail and marine fleets in service, complementing the efforts of bus operators, SkyTrain and SeaBus attendants, Transit Police and volunteers to keep all our customers moving safely and efficiently over the Olympic period.

“The whole transit system has demonstrated great efficiency, flexibility and resiliency throughout the Games, and people across the region have responded in a tremendously positive way to all the TravelSmart options, demonstrating patience and hospitality along the way. Together all of these factors have helped our road and transit system contribute positively to the overall Games-time experience,” he says.