December was a busy month at the Kamloops Airport with more than 30,000 people travelling through YKA.
Ed Ratuski, managing director, says that is an 18% increase from the same time last year.
In December 2022, the airport saw 26,068 passengers but this December it spiked up to 30,841.
Year-end totals for 2023 were recorded at 311,696, which is a 21.1% increase from 2022.
“Although challenges stemming from the pandemic remain for the aviation sector, Kamloops Airport served 91.9% of our 2019 Q4 pre-pandemic traffic,” Ratuski says.
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According to the quarter four (Q4) numbers, the Kamloops Airport saw a nearly 10% increase compared to the previous year.
More than 84,200 passengers flew through the airport in October, November and December.
Ratuski explains that the increases experienced in Q4 can be attributed to the introduction of new air services to Victoria and Vancouver by Pacific Coastal Airlines and WestJet link, along with the reintroduction of the early morning departure to Vancouver with Air Canada.
Those extra connections between YKA and Victoria will be expanded to include service on Saturday, which will begin in February.
Earlier in the year, there were significant service reductions in Q2 and fire-related travel restrictions in Q3.
However, Q4 saw a strong return of travellers taking advantage of the connections to Vancouver and Calgary for business and leisure travel.
“We are optimistic the growth trend will continue toward a full recovery through 2024 as we work with our stakeholders in the airline, tourism, and business sectors to amplify Kamloops as destination for both tourism and commerce,” says Ratuski.
