Wildfire flight restrictions ease at Kelowna airport after days of disruptions
OKANAGAN — Some wildfire-related flight restrictions at Kelowna International Airport are beginning to ease after several days of cancellations and interrupted air service across the Okanagan.
In its latest passenger update, issued at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, YLW said it was seeing some flight-path restrictions associated with aerial firefighting activity being relaxed and expected operations to become more consistent.
The airport cautioned, however, that conditions remain fluid and flight operations can change with little notice.
As of Wednesday morning, Aug. 12, YLW had not issued a newer passenger update. Travellers are still being urged to check the status of their flight directly with their airline before going to the airport and to contact their carrier for rebooking if needed. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are being asked not to travel to YLW.
The improvement follows several days in which wildfire smoke and restrictions needed for firefighting aircraft repeatedly disrupted flights in and out of Kelowna.
The first significant problems began Friday, Aug. 7, when YLW reported that wildfire activity in the region was affecting airport operations and that several flights had been cancelled. The problems continued into the weekend as wildfires burned in several parts of the Okanagan.
YLW continued to report cancelled flights on Saturday as wildfire conditions and smoke affected operations. Although the disruptions resulted in significant interruptions to scheduled air service, the airport's public notices during the current event have generally described cancelled flights and operational impacts rather than a continuous closure of the airport itself.
Conditions began to improve Sunday, Aug. 9. YLW later reported that airlines had been operating consistently in and out of Kelowna since early Sunday afternoon and that a full schedule of flights was planned for Monday. Airport officials continued to warn that wildfire conditions could change quickly.
That recovery proved temporary.
Air service was running smoothly Monday morning, Aug. 10, but by the afternoon YLW said conditions were again affecting flights as firefighting efforts and the wildfire situation evolved. Passengers were once more directed to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport.
By Tuesday afternoon, the picture had begun to improve again.
YLW said it had been working with Transport Canada, BC Wildfire Service, NAV CANADA and airline partners throughout the day as wildfire activity continued to interrupt air service. The airport then reported that some of the flight-path restrictions required because of firefighting activities were being relaxed.
The easing of restrictions does not mean the threat of further cancellations has passed.
WestJet continues to list Kelowna under a forest-fire travel advisory covering travel from Aug. 8 through Aug. 13. The advisory also includes Penticton, Cranbrook and Kamloops and allows eligible passengers to manage changes or cancellations through the airline.
Pacific Coastal Airlines is also warning passengers travelling Wednesday that wildfires and variable conditions may cause disruptions involving Kelowna, Penticton, Cranbrook and Trail. The airline has introduced flexible change and cancellation provisions for affected passengers.
For now, YLW says it and its airline partners will continue monitoring information from BC Wildfire Service and will update flight information as conditions change.
Passengers should confirm their flight status directly with their airline before leaving for the airport.
Wildfires remain active across the Southern Interior Wednesday morning, with conditions ranging from an ongoing evacuation emergency in the Okanagan to active but more remote fires in the Boundary and West Kootenay.