Hug Rug returns to Winnipeg airport arrivals hall in time for spring break

The iconic rug was temporarily removed in March of 2020 to encourage physical distancing as the pandemic first began to take hold.

Winnipeg -

After 736 days without a warm embrace to host, Winnipeg Richardson International Airport’s Hug Rug is back at its faithful home.

Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) President and CEO Nick Hays rolled out the rug Friday morning at the bottom of the escalators in the arrivals hall.

“I think this is a very exciting moment for us all, for the community here as we really kind of emerge from the pandemic and look forward to welcoming many more passengers through our doors here at the airport,” Hays said.

The iconic rug is a staple at Winnipeg’s airport, inspiring countless hugs, kisses and warm embraces reminiscent of the opening credits of “Love Actually.”

It was temporarily removed in March of 2020 to encourage physical distancing as the pandemic first began to take hold.

 

The Hug Rug’s return comes in time to usher in spring break travellers – a week the WAA expects to be its busiest since the start of the pandemic. The organization estimates 9,000 passengers will travel through Winnipeg’s airport on Sunday alone.

Hays said that number still falls short of pre-pandemic passenger volumes. Before the emergence of COVID-19, the airport had about 12,000 travellers a day, he said.

Still, he believes the uptick is encouraging.

“It's great that we've got real recovery on the way. We're not there yet, but it's certainly moving in the right direction,” Hays said.