Airline representatives, airport officials, and local authorities have gathered at Cranbrook Airport for the region’s first flights to Kelowna this week.
“The inaugural flights went fantastic actually,” said Johnathan Richardson, vice president of Commercial at the airline. “The flights operated on time, and we even got into Kelowna a little bit ahead of schedule. The turnout was great.”
Celebrations included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and goodie bags for passengers, with the first flight departing from YXC at 9 a.m. and arriving in Kelowna at 8:55 that morning.
Pacific Coastal operated the Cranbrook-Kelowna route before the pandemic but was unable to provide an optimized departure service until this year.
“It lets residents of Cranbrook have the option to day trip to Kelowna, or they could get two full business days in Kelowna with only one overnight in Kelowna,” Richardson added.
Flights operate Sunday through Friday at 9 a.m., returning at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time. There are currently no other non-stop flights between the two cities.
“It brings the journey time down to 55 minutes, whereas if you’re connecting over another city like say Vancouver or Calgary, you’re probably looking at a lot closer to three, four, maybe even five hours to make the connection,” he said. “I think it’s going to give residents a lot of time back into their day and convenience.”
With government officials recently debating health care access in East Kootenay, Richardson added that the airline has also partnered with Hope Air to support patients with financial and medical needs, including helping them book flights.
“A big benefit to residents in the East Kootenays is the access it’s going to bring for […] health care […] It really helps bridge that gap for patients who need to access vital health care or have doctor’s appointments in Kelowna.”
Those interested in booking a medical fare with the airline can do so using a Travel Assistance (TAP) form or by contacting Hope Air.
You can also find more flight details online through Pacific Coastal’s website.
Comments