The City of Penticton hopes a business case study of the city's airport will convince its two commercial carriers to increase and improve their operations at the regional airport.

(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)

PENTICTON - The City of Penticton hopes to present a business case in an effort to convince the two commercial air carriers to upgrade services at the regional airport.

The city says it is seeking financial support from the regional district and other South Okanagan and Similkameen communities for the $30,400 cost of a consultant’s study to provide a business case for presentation to Air Canada and WestJet airlines.

The city has sent letters to South Okanagan municipalities seeking a share of the $30,400 total cost of the study. Penticton is putting up $10,000 and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has agreed to fund $4,000.

Osoyoos council will look at a staff recommendation to contribute $4,000 to the study at its regular meeting tonight, July 3.

The City hopes to have the funds in place by July 13.

SNC-Lavalin's proposal, submitted to the City of Penticton, notes the last study done on the city’s airport was 2012, following which both airlines increased service to the city.

The main goal of the present study is to justify an upgrade in Air Canada’s aircraft size to accommodate the Q 400 aircraft, which has more modern avionics, allowing it to operate in lower ceiling conditions than Air Canada’s present Dash 8 -300 aircraft presently in use.

A secondary goal in the proposal is to present a business case in support of additional weekly service to Calgary via WestJet.

In a letter to Osoyoos council, Penticton chief administrative officer Peter Weeber noted Air Canada’s Dash-8 300 aircraft were often prohibited or delayed from landing or departing at Penticton, especially during winter months.

Last April, Air Canada media spokesperson Angela Mah told iNFOnews.ca the company did not anticipate changes in the size or type of aircraft used at Penticton Regional Airport.

“It is the right-sized plane for the Penticton market,” she said at the time.

Penticton Regional Airport is currently undergoing more than $6 million in airport improvements.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2018