Kelowna International Airport

Kelowna International Airport performs scheduled air service to Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Victoria, Calgary, and Seattle, as well as less numerous seasonal service to Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Cancún, and Phoenix. At the moment, the property handles up to 38 commercial departures a day or about 266 departures per week. Three major airlines serve the facility; Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, and WestJet.

Kelowna International Airport

Kelowna International Airport performs scheduled air service to Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Victoria, Calgary, and Seattle, as well as less numerous seasonal service to Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Cancún, and Phoenix. At the moment, the property handles up to 38 commercial departures a day or about 266 departures per week. Three major airlines serve the facility; Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, and WestJet.

History

In 1946, a referendum was held which authorized the city of Kelowna to buy the 320-acre Dickson Ranch for $20,000. The property was opened in 1947 with a 3,000-foot long grass airstrip and a small terminal building. Commercial service first started in 1958 by Canadian Pacific Airlines to Vancouver. In 1960, the runway was extended to 5,350 feet. Through the 1960s and 1970s, the facility continued to be developed and expanded with a new terminal, an onsite weather office, and an air traffic control tower. From the late 1960s to the mid-1980s, Pacific Western Airlines represented the primary passenger air carrier which served the airport with Boeing 737-200 jetliners on direct and nonstop flights between Kelowna and Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, and other small cities in British Columbia. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, cargo and commercial traffic increased, requiring more than $10 million of investment in upgrades to the runway, terminal, and airline operating facilities.

In 1996, Greyhound Air was operating daily nonstop service to its hub in Winnipeg with direct, one-stop service to Hamilton, Ontario. Also, in 1996, WestJet was running a continuous Boeing 737-200 jet service to Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria, British Columbia, together with direct, one-stop 737 services to Regina. In 1998, a $20 million development and expansion program doubled the size of the terminal, extended parking, and increased airside facilities to accommodate the projected 1 million travelers by 2011. By 1999, five airlines were serving Kelowna.