Kelowna International Airport (YLW)
Welcome from Mayor Sharon Shepherd
As Mayor of Kelowna, a thriving city of 105,000 in the heart of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, I am pleased to welcome you to the website for Kelowna International Airport.
Kelowna International is the 11th busiest airport in Canada in terms of passenger volume; in 2005, 1,070,171 passengers traveled through the airport. Passenger activity has more than doubled since 1995 and traffic is expected to continue to grow.
This is indeed impressive for an airport that sprang from humble beginnings in 1946 when pilots used a 3,000-foot grass airstrip with no terminal facility whatsoever. Today passengers enjoy a spacious, modern 76,000 square foot terminal and Kelowna handles over 30 scheduled flights a day, from the turbo-prop Beech 1900 to the Airbus A320. Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, Central Mountain Air, Horizon Air, Northwestern Air and WestJet all operate from the 7,300-foot-long 200-foot-wide runway.
Competitive air service is a key to success in the global marketplace, and Kelowna International provides a vital link to the economic prosperity of the entire region. In fact, Kelowna International is now responsible for generating an estimated $265 million of local economic activity annually and sustaining 1,834 full-time jobs. This is reflected in the growth of various tourism sectors, the increasing number of high-technology firms in the area and the international clientele of our local aerospace industries. Direct flights to Toronto and Seattle provide strategic market opportunities usually available only in much larger cities.
NAV CANADA’s new $1 million Instrument Landing System, commissioned in February 2003, provides pilots with significantly improved airport accessibility during periods of poor weather. Coupled with the $5 million NAV CANADA Air Operations Centre officially opened in 2002, Kelowna International continues its commitment to continuous safety and service enhancements.
Kelowna International Airport is a facility to be proud of and this website will help you discover why. From the convenience of current flight arrival and departure information to parking rates and facilities for private aircraft, we hope the site provides the information you require. As always, your comments are welcome and appreciated.
Sharon Shepherd
MAYOR
