International flights at Kelowna International Airport (YLW) have stopped operating.
This includes flights to and from the Caribbean, Mexico and the United States. Alaska Airlines service to Seattle ended on April 9, 2020 as they reduced service across their flight network. All international passengers arriving in B.C. on commercial flights will land at Vancouver International Airport.
As of right now, the following commercial flights are operating at YLW:
- One daily flight with Air Canada to Vancouver
- Eight daily flights with WestJet to Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton
Phillip Elchitz, senior manager of airport operations at YLW, said the decreased traffic is having a significant impact on the airport.
“We would normally see 6,000 passengers a day on a peak day and right now we’re running less than 500 passengers a day,” he said. “We would normally have close to 80 flights a day, today (April 9) we’ll have six flights.”
The federal government and public health officials are advising people to stay home to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. If your travel is essential, please know that:
- YLW is open and operating. Airports are considered an essential service and will remain open to provide critically important services in Canada, including repatriation flights, cargo operations and emergency services, such as life-saving medevac flights. We are here to receive and ship cargo in and out of B.C. including essential medical supplies and materials necessary to support frontline workers and businesses.
- All international passengers arriving in B.C. must self-isolate at home for 14 days and complete a self-isolation plan. Plans must be reviewed by provincial government officials before travellers can return home. Travellers can submit an online or paper form before or on arrival back in B.C. Find out more about mandatory self-isolation and how to submit a self-isolation plan
- If you are landing at YLW, arrange to have a friend or family member drop off a vehicle at the airport, if possible. Don’t go to the grocery store, instead have a friend drop off groceries before you arrive, or place an online order and get it delivered, and continue to do so during the 14 days of isolation.
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