Flights from Calgary now landing in Penticton.
(MEAGHAN ARCHER / iNFOnews.ca)
July 11, 2014 - 11:23 AM
PENTICTON - The airport runway maintenance project starting next week will impact flights and could potentially have a negative impact on visitors' perceptions of Penticton.
Air Canada, the main airline that flies out of Penticton Regional Airport, is jumping through hoops to make sure passengers are properly accommodated, the city's Colleen Pennington said.
According to the airline, a few hundred passengers will be affected during the construction which begins July 14 and is expected to be finished in October. No flights are cancelled but early morning and late night schedules have changed to accommodate construction, which will be happening overnight from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The city was notified by Air Canada on June 25 about the $9.5 million Transport Canada funded project. Air Canada staff say they were not told about the project until the plan was in place.
The upgrade needs to happen, but Pennington is concerned the extra hassle will leave a less-than-positive impression on visitors.
“It’s about making sure the customer has a good experience coming and going,” she said. “We want people here as much as possible and to talk about the great experience they had when they get home.”
The changes to flight times effect evening connections to major Canadian cities and many B.C. cities with local airports.
New flight schedule from Air Canada.
Image Credit: Air Canada
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014