A record spring for passenger numbers at Kamloops Airport this year, with over 185,000 passengers in the first six months of 2019.

That is an eight per cent increase when compared to the same time period last year, when 170,311 passengers used the airport.

Airport Managing Director Ed Ratuski attributes the growth to the fact that the airlines that serve Kamloops are performing well.

“Air Canada, West Jet Encore and Central Mountain Air, all of them are seeing consistent growth month to month and quarter over quarter and it’s just a sign that they are meeting the travel needs of the public and the community,” he said.

“We’re glad that they are meeting those demands and that the passengers are responding to those flights.”

In April, May, and June of this year, 83,260 passengers used Kamloops Airport, up from 77,390 in 2018, and the increased traffic comes after a record first quarter in Kamloops that saw 101,966 passengers, and Ratuski thinks there is still more room to grow.

“We’re really encouraging the community to take advantage of the low cost Rouge service non stop to Toronto this summer,” he added. “We’re expecting that growth to Calgary and Vancouver to continue and we’re looking forward to seeing this type of growth through the third quarter.”

Ratuski says the first Toronto flight on July 4 was booked at “near capacity” and he’s hoping for more of the same before service wraps up at the end of August.