Getting to and from Kelowna Airport (YLW)

The airport of Kelowna International (YLW) is considered to be one of the largest airports in the country of Canada, as it handles over a million passengers every year. Some of its main airline companies are Air Canada, WestJet, Central Mountain Air and Horizon Air, and they offer flights to other cities in Canada, and to cities in the United States and Mexico. Passengers on departure flights will find the terminal building to be well equipped with all the required facilities, and that directions to the airport are quite simple to follow. Kelowna International Airport directions are available online, or the airport can be contacted for further information.

This Canadian airport serves the city of Kelowna, as it is located just 11.5km, or 7.1 miles northeast of the city’s centre. It is also one of the airports in the province of British Columbia. Kelowna and its airport is located approximately 400km to the east of Vancouver, one of the largest cities in the country, and to the far west of Calgary and Lethbridge, in the Canadian province of Alberta. Kelowna is also north of the state of Washington, in the United States of America, and the major cities of Seattle, Tacoma and Portland. The border between Canada and the US is about 150km from Kelowna. Areas nearer to the airport include Vernon to the north, and Summerland and Penticton to the south. The airport is just to the east of Okanagan Lake, and nearby to the Okanagan Golf Club, the Shadow Ridge Golf Club and the Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park. Robert’s Lake is a small body of water nearby as well.

Directions from the city and from the south

Kelowna’s airport is reached by travelling Highway 97, and is approximately a ten minute drive from the city centre. The Highway is accessible from the following roads in the city: Water Street, Richter Street, Ethel Street, Gordon Drive and Burtch Road. Passengers travelling from West Kelowna will also take Highway 97 to the airport, as it crosses the Okanagan Lake. From West Kelowna the highway continues south providing access from Peachland, Summerland, Penticton and Okanagan Falls, before crossing the border into the United States.

Driving from the north

From Vernon, motorists will use Highway 97 in a southerly direction to access the airport. This road is also used from Kamloops, an area to the north-west of Kelowna. The road leading to the terminal building of the airport is known as Airport Way, and is well signposted from the highway.

Directions from the west

Highway 97C is the road to follow when travelling to the airport from Merritt. This road connects to Highway 97, which in turn leads through Kelowna and north towards the airport.

Although Kelowna’s roads are not exceptionally busy, always leave in good time for your departure flight. At the airport, parking is available in short-term and long-term car parks, and there are handicapped parking spaces available. The entire airport complex is accessible to disabled travellers, with elevators and pavement ramps, adapted restrooms, automatic doors and covered loading bridges. Passengers who require special assistance at the airport should contact their airline company at least forty-eight hours prior to their flight’s departure. The friendly airport volunteers can also provide assistance through the pre-boarding screening area and into the departure lounges.

The airport of Kelowna is a single-runway airport, and also an airport with just a single terminal building. Its facilities are therefore easy to navigate. Inside the terminal, passengers will find a number of food and beverage stores, such as the new WhiteSpot Restaurant and Lounge and Tim Hortons, which are found before the security gates, and after security, there is another WhiteSpot Restaurant and the Skyway Café and Bar, selling light salads, sandwiches and quiches. Shopping options include the Gifts of the Okanagan in the departure lounge, with duty-free items and souvenirs, Happy and Grateful Shoe Shine Service, Skyway News and $15 Store and the Okanagan Estate Wine Cellar. All the finest wines of the region can be purchased at the Okanagan Estate Wine Cellar, and up to twelve bottles can be carried on board a flight to other Canadian cities. Two bottles of wine can be carried on board flights to Seattle or Las Vegas before duty is charged. Furthermore, the costs of the wines are the same as those that are sold at the wineries.

Facilities at Kelowna International Airport also include a board room that is equipped with a TV and VCR, overhead projector and whiteboard, and a business centre that is accessible to passengers in the departure lounge. The centre offers work stations with internet accessible payphones and a group discussion table.

Passengers who would rather not drive their own vehicle to the airport can travel by bus or taxi. There are public buses available operated by BC Transit, as well as a couple of private shuttle operators who offer transport services from all areas nearby, including Vernon and the major ski resorts. Taxis are available from the city for about $36.00. Although Kelowna Airport is quite large, it has no direct train service. In fact, Vancouver Airport is the only airport in Canada with its own train station.

Kelowna International Airport directions in more detail are available online at https://maps.google.com, or any general enquiry can be made to the airport’s telephone number of 250-765-5125.