Air Canada will be adding a fourth daily non-stop flight from Penticton Regional Airport beginning in May.
“Air Canada has responded to the opportunity to address Penticton’s challenges with respect to the lack of adequate seat capacity and flight frequency to Vancouver.” said Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton. “There is a definite need for this service as well as the need for direct service to Alberta, the top two destinations of local passengers.”
At present, more than half of air travellers in the region use the Kelowna International Airport to fly to these two destinations.
Penticton has been aggressively pursuing enhanced air service for Penticton after forming a stakeholder steering committee earlier this year.
Air travel within the South Okanagan was extensively studied using actual ticket data from residents who travel by air from the region. In addition, consultation was carried out with surveys of local travel agencies, airport passengers and 70 key local businesses. Their responses were used to substantiate market demand for non-stop air service to Calgary, as well as the need for an additional daily flight to Vancouver.
