Work to try and bring in a direct flight from Kamloops to Edmonton and Toronto is still ongoing.

YKA Managing Director Ed Ratuski says there continues to be strong demand for direct air service to Edmonton

“Even though Flair flew last summer, the passenger numbers show that with the right aircraft mix and service it is still a viable route, so we are talking with carriers to see if there is something we can do there.”

The Flair Airlines flight to Edmonton had on average between 100 and 120 passengers on board, which was not enough for the airline and its business model as it uses a 190 seater plane on all of its routes.

Back in 2019, Swoop – WestJet’s now defunct ultra low-cost carrier – announced plans for a direct Kamloops to Edmonton flight which never took off due to COVID-19.

Victoria and Toronto were the other two key destinations being targeted for direct air service to Kamloops.

As for Toronto, Ratuski says there appears to be growing demand for direct flights in the winter months to support the B.C. ski industry.

“There are a lot of guests that come into the region from the Toronto regions who are starting to discover Sun Peaks, so we want to work with the airlines to support that as well.”

Air Canada Rouge ran a direct Toronto to Kamloops flight in the summer of 2018 and 2019, but it was also the victim of a pandemic-related cut.