Kamloops Airport is getting $1.4 million in funding from Transport Canada to help pay for infrastructure improvements at the airport.

Managing Director, Ed Ratuski, says the money will pay half of the of the $2.7-million cost to rehabilitate a pair of taxiways while also replacing some old snow removing equipment at YKA.

“Taxiways Alpha and Bravo, those are the two that we are rehabilitating this year. They’ve passed their useful life. Basically they are two of the main used taxiways on the airport that need to be rebuilt,” Ratuski said, on the NL Noon Report.

The money is coming from Transport Canada through the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP). Ratuski says the money will help with the recovery from COVID-19 related travel slowdowns, which have impacted airports across Canada.

“Advancing these critical infrastructure projects in 2021 is essential in providing a safe operating environment for passengers, airlines and all users of airport services and facilities,” he said.

The eight-week long taxiway renovation project is expected to begin in late July, with work taking place on six days a week. Ratuski though is not expecting any disruptions to flights at Kamloops Airport.

“Generally what will happen is, we’ll see a lot more back-taxing along the runway when those specific areas are closed,” he said. “We’ve done a lot more complex projects in the past right on the runway, which didn’t result in any real impacts to operations.”

In a statement, Mayor Ken Christian says the upgrades will ensure that the facilities at Kamloops Airport are in excellent condition to support the return of leisure and business travel, when it is safe to do so.

“Continuous improvement and replacement of our airport infrastructure is vital in supporting not only essential passenger and cargo flights but critical to medevac and wildfire suppression operations at YKA,” Christian, who is also the President of the Kamloops Airport Authority Society said.

“These projects will also help guarantee that our facilities are in excellent condition to support the return of leisure and business travel, when it is safe to do so.”