Calgary airport to return accessible parking spots after botched marketing campaign

The Calgary Airport Authority is returningdisabled parking spaces after it wascriticized for converting themto more lucrative "Lexus-only"spaces as part of a marketing campaign.

It received a complaint after a family with access needs pulled into the short-term section of theparkade to find five accessible parking spaces they usually use were gone.

The airport sold the space to Lexus so it could paint its logo on the floor and allow its customers to enjoy the prime location exclusively.

In a response to CBC Calgary, LexusCanada saidMonday night that itwas unaware the marketing campaign would involve the removal of parking spaces for travellers living with a disability.

"Lexus Canada would like to offer our heartfelt apologies to anyone who may have been affected or offended by a recent marketing campaign at the Calgary airport. We were not aware thataccessible parking spaces would be used for this campaign,andhave asked the airport to correct the situation as quickly as possible by returning these parking spaces to their intended use," read astatement sent byMichael Bouliane, manager of corporate communications at the company.

"In the future, we will more carefully scrutinize the details of these types of marketing campaigns. We weretruly embarrassed by this mistake. It shouldn't have happened and we are taking steps to make sure that it doesn't happen again."

Airport apologizes

The airport also released a statement Monday night, saying it would reverse the decision and return the spots to accessible parking.

"YYC Calgary International Airport would like to apologize to our passengers impacted by the decision to change the location of the accessible parking stalls at the airport; it is clearly out of touch with our commitment to being an accessible facility," the statement said.

In addition to a commitment to revert thestalls "asap,"the authority also said disabled stalls that were added in another location when the Lexus-onlyspots were createdwill remain.

"The Calgary Airport Authority would also like to apologize to Lexus Canada," the statement continues.

"For clarity, The Calgary Airport Authority was solely responsible for the selection of the stalls identified for the parking campaign.Lexus Canada did not play a role in selecting, and was not aware of, the locations for the campaign."

Revenue stream

Earlier in the day, Calgary Airport Authority spokesperson Jody Moseley said selling thebays as advertising space to the luxury car brand would make the airport some money.

"We're always looking at different ways to diversify our revenue stream," she said.

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Moseley said not providing alternative accessible spaces simultaneously was just a case of bad timing.

"I think it was one of those communication fails, from the YYC perspective," she said.

"We really were in the process of moving and accommodating the new advertising space at the same time, but what we really should have done is let them know in advance that this was happening."

Airport customer Dustin Stroh says it seems like a waste of space.

"If they're taking handicap spots, you'd think they'd have replaced them first. And they're all empty right where there could be five spots where somebody needs wheelchair access," he said.

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