Pacific Coastal Airlines now has daily non-stop flights from Kelowna to five destinations across BC.
Today, the Kootenay city of Cranbrook can be added to the list that already includes Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox and Prince George.
In fact, the first flight leaves Kelowna at 5:35 pm this afternoon and will land 55 minutes later in Cranbrook at 7:30 pm.
Remember, there's a one-hour time difference between Kelowna, which is in Pacific Time, and Cranbrook, an hour later in Mountain Time.
Tomorrow, the flight that leaves Cranbrook at 9 am Mountain Time arrives in Kelowna at 8:55 am Pacific Time.
Kelowna International Airport is throwing a party for the arrival of that flight right on the aircraft apron off the runway.
There will be a ribbon cutting.
And, invited guests will hear from four speakers -- Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas, Kelowna airport director of operations Phillip Elchitz, Berkan Kucukkatipoglu from Pacific Coastal and Gemma Hamilton from Cranbrook Airport.
This is actually a return of the Kelowna-Cranbrook service with Pacific Coastal.
The airline flew between the two cities from 2013 to Covid-era March 2021.
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“It’s fantastic to once again offer non-stop service between Kelowna and Cranbrook, with our new schedule offering preferred morning and afternoon time of day flights,” says Johnathan Richardson, vice-president of commercial operations at Pacific Coastal Airlines.
“This new service not only strengthens regional air access in the Okanagan but also enables efficient one-stop travel between the Kootenays and Vancouver Island.”
Pacific Coastal has timed the daily flight to depart Cranbrook early enough in the morning to arrive in Kelowna at 8:55 am so travellers from the Kootenays have a whole day in front of them for leisure, visiting friends and relatives, doing business or a medical appointment or treatment.
They'll also arrive early enough to connect to Pacific Coastal's flights from Kelowna to Victoria, Nanaimo and Comox.
The Kelowna-Cranbrook daily flight at 5:35 pm is designed for regular travel as well as giving enough time for connecting passengers coming in from Vancouver Island.
Saturdays only, the times are different with the plane leaving Cranbrook at 11 am Mountain Time to arrive in Kelowna at 10:55 am and then a 3:40 pm departure from Kelowna to land in Cranbrook at 5:35 pm.
“We are excited to see the Pacific Coastal network continue to expand at YLW (Kelowna airport), said Kelowna airport CEO Sam Samaddar.
"The addition of this new direct route not only strengthens Pacific Coastal’s position as a regional connector but supports Kelowna’s role as a transportation hub for travellers and goods throughout our province."
Pacific Coastal is flying the 19-passenger Beechcraft 1900 turbo-prop plane on the Kelowna-Cranbrook route, the same type of plane it flies to Nanaimo, Comox and Prince George.
In the wake of more demand, more and more, Pacific Coastal is flying the 34-seat Saab 340 turbo-prop on the twice-daily Kelowna-Victoria route.
As a regional carrier based at the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport, Pacific Coastal now serves 20 communities in BC, more than any other airline.
In all, eight airlines fly in and out of Kelowna airport to 21 non-stop destinations -- the aforementioned Cranbrook, Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox and Prince George as well as Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina (summer only), Saskatoon (summer only), Winnipeg (summer only), Toronto and Montreal and fall-winter-spring service to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Cabos, Mazatlan and Los Angeles.
