New Kelowna-Nanaimo flights to launch this fall

Pacific Coastal Airlines will be offering flights between Kelowna and Nanaimo later this year.

Starting September 12, daily flights will depart Kelowna International Airport at 5:20 p.m. and arrive at the Nanaimo Airport at 6:25 p.m.

Daily flights from the island will depart at 3:50 p.m. and land at YLW at 4:55 p.m.

“We are so excited to be offering Nanaimo as a new destination and provide expanded regional service for Okanagan residents,” Sam Samaddar, Kelowna airport director, said in a news release.

“Pacific Coastal has been operating out of YLW for 10 years, and we are happy to be able to continue to have them as a valued partner.”

The Kelowna-Nanaimo flights are one of two new routes announced by Pacific Coastal Airlines. The other will see daily flights between Nanaimo and the Vancouver South Terminal.

“We are thrilled to announce these two new routes and add Nanaimo as a new destination to our route network,” said Johnathan Richardson, Pacific Coastal Airline’s vice president of customer and commercial.

“Our unique Nanaimo–Vancouver South Terminal service will provide seamless connections to other destinations in our network and offer customers a new option of travelling with ease from the South Terminal, while our Nanaimo–Kelowna service will provide the only non-stop flight option enabling customers to travel between these communities in just over an hour.”

A 19-passenger pressurized turboprop Beechcraft 1900 aircraft will be used to serve the new routes.

As a special promotion to celebrate the new routes, Pacific Coastal Airlines customers can use the promo code WELCOMENANAIMO to get 20 per cent off their bookings.