Pacific Coastal Airlines is launching its direct flight between Kamloops and Vancouver this afternoon, two and a half weeks after Air Canada temporarily suspended service.

The 50-minute flight will operate from Sunday to Friday on a 19-passenger pressurized turboprop Beech 1900D aircraft. Flights will leave Vancouver at 2:35 in the afternoon and then leave Kamloops at 3:55 the same day.

YKA Managing Director Ed Ratuski says he is excited to welcome the Richmond-based airline back to Kamloops.

“You know we went through a pretty sustained period of growth and with their network on the coast and onto the Island and up the Northern Coast of B.C., they see this as an opportunity for them to reintroduce this service,” he said.

There is no word on when the Air Canada flight will return but Central Mountain Air is expected to launch its own direct flight between Kamloops and Vancouver on April 5.

“Connecting with other Pacific Coastal destinations and CMA destinations out of the Vancouver South Terminal, I think that’s where they saw it as an opportunity for these carriers, because they both have significant routes structures out of the South Terminal to other destinations,” added Ratuski.

The CEO of Tourism Kamloops previously told NL News she was pleased to see a pair of B.C. airlines announce fill the gap in service between Kamloops and Vancouver.

“The conversation has been ongoing about expanding service into the Kamloops Airport with non-traditional airlines so we have had conversations with numerous airlines and it’s nice that some of these are sticking,” Beverley DeSantis said, noting she has been wanting to see more airlines flying in and out of Kamloops Airport for a while now.

“I think there’s room for them all and let’s make sure that we support those that have really considered us during times of need and this is exactly what Pacific Coastal and Central Mountain Air are doing,” she added.