With no concrete timetable for when international travel will resume at Kelowna International Airport (YLW), the airport is at risk of losing $2.5 million in revenue as a result, according to the airport香蕉视频直播檚 director.
YLW director Sam Samaddar said that he was advised by WestJet that if the status surrounding the airport香蕉视频直播檚 access to international travel is not sorted out soon, the airline company will have to decide whether or not to cancel a number of Sun destination flights scheduled for early December.
香蕉视频直播淚f we lose these flights, they香蕉视频直播檙e not coming back,香蕉视频直播� said Samaddar. 香蕉视频直播淲estJet will not put on flights in the middle of winter and January and February for Sun destinations, because they know people will have already made their decisions on what they香蕉视频直播檙e doing.香蕉视频直播�
YLW ceased international travel services on April 9, 2020, to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Samaddar said that last summer, the airport proposed to meet with the federal government regarding the vaccine mandate for both employees and travellers, as well as the requirement of vaccination cards for travel.
香蕉视频直播淲e involved the various parties 香蕉视频直播� the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Air Transport Association. Globally, we put together a number of documents to best handle this between countries and states in order to resume air travel once that got started,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淎t every turn on these discussions, we kept getting turned back.香蕉视频直播�
READ MORE: COVID-19: No more international flights at Kelowna International Airport
Although YLW is the 10th busiest airport in the country, Qu茅bec City香蕉视频直播檚 Jean Lesage International Airport was recently given the green light to accept international travel, despite being the 12th busiest airport based on 2019 passenger numbers. Similarly, the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Islands 香蕉视频直播� the ninth busiest airport in the country in 2019 香蕉视频直播� was also granted permission to accept international travel.
香蕉视频直播淭he fact that we香蕉视频直播檝e gone through these difficult 16, 17 months as it is, not having these services for our flying community is just unacceptable,香蕉视频直播� said Samaddar.
The decision to open YLW to international travel, however, is not a call that can be made by the airport alone. Samaddar said that there are three agencies involved: the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and Transport Canada.
香蕉视频直播淚n many discussions and dialogue with them, we香蕉视频直播檝e asked for what is the criteria and what is the timeline for opening up our airport back to accept international flights. We have not got an answer on any of that,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淲e asked to give us the criteria for what was used for Quebec City and Toronto Island with Billy Bishop Airport, and they weren香蕉视频直播檛 willing to provide that either.香蕉视频直播�
He added that if a decision can be made for the airports at Quebec City and Toronto Islands, a decision can be made for Kelowna as well.
香蕉视频直播淲hat we香蕉视频直播檙e doing right now is by picking certain communities over other communities, we香蕉视频直播檙e allowing an uneven playing field for the recovery of those communities as it relates to the economy,香蕉视频直播� he said.
In July, Kelowna-Lake Country MP-elect Tracy Gray wrote to the federal Minister of Transport asking the ministry what metrics are being used to determine which airports in Canada are allowed to re-open to international travel.
香蕉视频直播淒espite writing to the Minister in July, I have heard nothing but silence from the Minister or his department,香蕉视频直播� said Gray.
香蕉视频直播淭he people of Kelowna香蕉视频直播擫ake Country deserve to hear from this government what metrics are being used to keep Kelowna International Airport closed, and what the timeline for re-opening is.香蕉视频直播�
READ MORE: Kelowna International Airport launches employee COVID-19 testing program
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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