Kelowna Airport Departures (YLW)

Kelowna International Airport is located nearby the city of Kelowna, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The airport is considered as one of the country’s busiest, with around 1.39 million passengers per annum, and is recognised by its IATA code of YLW. The City of Kelowna (airport operator) uses this code to promote the airport as ‘Your Link to the World’. Kelowna offers departures to a number of locations, and is served by several important airline companies. It is also well equipped with facilities for its passengers, and has parking and ground transportation options available.

Kelowna Airport is approximately 11.5km, or 7.1 miles from the city, and is accessed by the Highway 97. It will take only about ten minutes in usual traffic to reach the airport in a private motor vehicle, however, always leave time for unexpected traffic delays. Passengers on departure flights to other Canadian cities are recommended to arrive at the airport about an hour before their flight is due, and passengers travelling to the United States should arrive about ninety minutes before departure. Passengers flying to Mexico should reach the airport about two hours before their flight. The airport is to the northeast of the city centre, on the eastern side of Lake Okanagan. It is also nearby to the Okanagan Golf Club, the Shadow Ridge Golf Club and the Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park. Highway 97 is used to travel to the airport from southern areas such as Penticton, Summerland and West Kelowna, and from northern areas such as Kamloops and Vernon. The city of Kelowna and its airport is also positioned about 150km from the border between British Columbia and the United States, and about 400km from the larger city of Vancouver.

Parking options for departing passengers include a short-term and long-term car park. In both lots, the first fifteen minutes of parking are free. They are nearby to the terminal, however, shuttle buses do serve the long-term car park. Curb-side parking is also available for thirty minutes, or passengers can be dropped off outside the terminal. Passengers who prefer not to drive to the airport can take a taxi, public bus or book a seat on one of the private shuttles available. The public buses are the cheapest form of transport to the airport, costing just $2.25, but the shuttles may be available from a wider range of locations. They also provide transport from Vernon and the famous ski resorts nearby. There is no train station at the airport.

From Kelowna International Airport, passengers have a choice of eight non-stop domestic destinations and six international destinations. The airport currently handles approximately 36 commercial departures per day, which is about 210 departures per week. Air Canada is one of the main airline companies of the airport, with flights to Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver and Nanaimo, while WestJet serves other Canadian destinations, such as Prince George, Regina, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Victoria. Central Mountain Air and Northwestern Air are another two carriers offering domestic flights from Kelowna Airport (Kamloops, Prince George and Red Deer). The flights by Air Canada and WestJet are all offered on a daily basis.

A number of passengers fly between Kelowna and the United States as well. Alaska Airlines offers daily flights to Seattle, United Airlines has daily flights to Los Angeles and WestJet serves the destinations of Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Their flights to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico are also popular. Charter flights are operated by Air North, CanJet and Sunwing Airlines.

Kelowna International consists of a terminal building covering a total surface area of approximately 76,000 square feet, or 7,100 square metres. There are eight loading positions, all of which are fitted with jet bridges. The terminal is considered as modern and attractive, and features several works of art by local artists. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in the building, including the new WhiteSpot Restaurant and Tim Hortons in the main terminal before the security control gates, and the Okanagan Estate Wine Cellar in the departure area. This shop sells the fine wines of the region at the same prices as the wineries, and passengers on domestic departures may purchase up to twelve bottles as carry-on luggage. Passengers heading for the US may purchase up to 1.5 litres before duty is charged, which is more than two bottles of wine. Additional shops and restaurants at the airport include the Skyway Café and Bar, Gifts of the Okanagan and Skyway News and $15 Store.

In a central location, passengers will find a board room for business use, equipped with a TV and VCR, overhead projector and a whiteboard. Catering can be arranged, and the room will cost $50.00 for four hours, or $80 for the day. There is also a business centre in the departure lounge featuring private work stations with internet accessible payphones and a group discussion table.

YLW is fully accessible to persons with disabilities. The terminal has automatic doors, elevators and pavement ramps, and there are suitable restrooms available. Handicapped parking spaces are found in all the car parks. Passengers who require further assistance within the terminal, or to their departure gate, should contact their airline company at least forty-eight hours prior to their flight. Assistance will then be arranged with airport or airline staff members, or with the airport ambassadors, who are specially trained to provide various services to passengers.

The terminal of the airport is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and has several information booths. There are also flight information boards at convenient locations. Live Kelowna International Airport departures can be viewed online, or passengers can contact the Airport Administration Office for any general enquiry at 250-765-5125.