Runway extension would allow direct flights to Europe

By Daily Courier StaffMonday, March 5, 2007 http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories.php?id=18653

“Kelowna to Gatwick, now boarding, Gate 1.” Maybe. City council heard Monday that airport managers have a $2.7-million plan to extend the runway to 9,000 feet, which would allow direct flights between Kelowna and Europe. But the project is contingent on Ottawa agreeing to match the funds already pledged for the extension by the provincial government. Coun. Robert Hobson said it is important to “keep the pressure” on the federal government to confirm the money, noting Ottawa has recently provided financial support for upgrades to airports in Kamloops and Prince George. It‘s expected that much of the initial demand for transatlantic flights would come from European skiers wanting a trip to Big White or Silver Star, airport manager Roger Sellick said. He hopes that federal funding for the runway extension will be confirmed soon, so the project could be completed well in advance of the 2008-09 ski season. More than 1.2 million passengers used the airport in 2006, and the January count was up 15 per cent from last year.