A Kelowna woman trying to come home to her family says she is grateful to finally fly back after days of flight cancellations.

Shyloe Fayad was stuck in Calgary for two days trying to get back home to Kelowna after visiting spending some time with her children in Montreal.

She left Kelowna on Aug. 4 and was scheduled to come back home on Aug. 16. With direct flights now offered between Montreal and Kelowna, Fayad didn香蕉视频直播檛 think much of it.

But on the day she was supposed to fly back, her direct flight back to the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) was cancelled due to the thick wildfire smoke.

So Air Canada put her on a different route: fly out of Montreal to Ottawa, then from there to Calgary and from Calgary to YLW.

But as she was waiting for takeoff to catch to her connecting flight in Calgary, she received a text from Air Canada: her flight home has been cancelled, again because the wildfire smoke was too thick to make a safe landing.

Senior airport development manager at YLW Geoff Ritchie said the fires certainly have had an impact on airport operations.

香蕉视频直播淒ue to the wildfires in the vicinity of the airport, visibility and wind have been contributing factors to some of the flight delays and cancellations over the past week or so,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播淵LW has been able to stay operational during this time, but each airline has their own procedures as to why and when it would cancel flights based on weather or other local situations.香蕉视频直播�

For her part, Fayad said airport and airline staff have been patient as events continued to unfold.

香蕉视频直播淏ecause it香蕉视频直播檚 not Air Canada香蕉视频直播檚 fault, it香蕉视频直播檚 because of the fires, they香蕉视频直播檙e not liable for anything. They香蕉视频直播檙e not paying for my hotel while I香蕉视频直播檓 stuck here, they香蕉视频直播檙e not paying for the Uber rides I香蕉视频直播檝e taken to and from the airport, they香蕉视频直播檙e not paying for my food.

香蕉视频直播淚 also have a teenager back home (in Kelowna) and she香蕉视频直播檚 all alone. I香蕉视频直播檓 relying on my community, which is fine, but it香蕉视频直播檚 still extremely stressful as a single mom.香蕉视频直播�

Since speaking with Black Press Media, Fayad was scheduled to board a 10:30 a.m. flight from Calgary to Kelowna, which was cancelled, but was immediately put into a noon flight, finally arriving at around 1:30 p.m.

Fayad said she香蕉视频直播檚 not sharing her story to put the blame on YLW or any airline, but rather, to show people that climate change is real and affects more people than realized.

香蕉视频直播淭he fires are getting so much worse and we did this ourselves. Yes, I香蕉视频直播檓 in my privileged bubble going boohoo I香蕉视频直播檓 stuck in Calgary香蕉视频直播� but there are people in Glenrosa, in Westside, in the Peachland area, their lives are burning up right in front of their faces,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淎nd what can we do about it? Maybe we should stop burning up fossil fuels, stop doing the things we香蕉视频直播檙e doing to tear up the world.香蕉视频直播�

Air Canada said in a statement that they continue to monitor the situation in the Interior, and that they will operate flights when it is safe to do so.

The airline also said passengers can continue to make changes to their bookings without change fees if they need to.

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twila.amato@blackpress.ca
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