The end of the pandemic – and the latest census – is allowing for the potential expansion of the Kamloops Airport.

With the population in the Kamloops-area well above the 100,000 mark, Airport Manager Ed Ratuski says it has triggered an automatic review by the airlines as the city is now considered a census metropolitan destination.

“Because we now formally have the population base to support more destinations, we are now actively talking with existing and new potential carriers for other opportunities to serve Kamloops,” Ratuski told NL News, saying it could lead to a number of new destinations potentially being added.

“Edmonton is a market that we are hoping to get back in service. As well, the demand to Victoria is recovering very well, and Toronto as well.”

WestJet announced a direct Kamloops to Edmonton flight which began service in July last year. It was cancelled in August as it did not perform as expected, which Ratuski says was due to the lack of available flight crews as well as a lack of passengers due to the pandemic and the summer wildfire season.

Back in December 2019, Swoop – WestJet’s ultra low-cost carrier – announced plans for a direct Kamloops to Edmonton flight which was to begin in April 2020. That flight never took off because of COVID-19.

Air Canada Rouge ran a direct Toronto to Kamloops flight in 2018 and 2019, but it too was the victim of a pandemic-related cut, while Ratuski says there has never been direct a direct flight from Kamloops to Victoria.

It is not just an expansion in the sky, Ratuski says the Kamloops Airport Society has been handed a list of on-the-ground expansion options. That includes an increased capacity for cargo, as well as allowing light-industrial companies to potentially move in.

“We are making sure that we maintain that available for aviation related cargo development as well as for businesses in the community to develop on airport lands,” he said.

– With files from Victor Kaisar