A new airline is swooping into Kamloops next April.
Low cost airline Swoop will offer four flights a week between Kamloops and Edmonton from April 30 to October. The flights are scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays in May, increasing to Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from June onwards.
Kamloops Airport Managing Director Ed Ratuski says the flight is aimed at bringing tourists to the Kamloops area.
“They are really looking at using this service as a gateway to the North Thompson and the North Okanagan area,” he said. “Now the work starts with starting to get them organized to ensure the service is successful this summer.”
Ratuski adds this service has been a long time coming for the Kamloops Airport.
“We had those requests for quite a while for some low fare service. So for those travellers this is great news,” he added. “We’ll start working with them as well as Tourism Kamloops, Tourism Sun Peaks and Swoop’s destination team members to make sure we really get the word out.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce is welcoming the new direct flight to Edmonton.
Joshua Knaak says a lack of options at Kamloops Airport is a challenge to residents in the area.
“I have got family in Edmonton. The fact that you have to go through Calgary or Vancouver to make any of those flights work is a challenge, and there are many Kamloops residents that have ties or even have work in Northern Alberta, and to have that option available I think is great,” he added.
Knaak says the added flight also speaks to the growth that is happening in Kamloops.
“It’s exciting when you see industries, such as the airline industry looking at it and saying, ‘hey, we really need to be paying attention to Kamloops. Let’s add some flights. Let’s bring some more opportunities here. Let’s capitalize on the growth that Kamloops is experiencing.'”
Like Ratuski, he too is hoping to see this direct flight to Edmonton offered year-round.
“It opens things up and then it also adds efficiencies,” Knaak said. “So for anybody who is commuting, for anybody that’s making those kinds of trips to be able to knock hree hours off the trip means more time at home.”
Fares start as low as about $99 one way, but it does not include baggage which has an extra charge.
