City of Vernon Looking to Develop Airport

North Okanagan posted May 21, 2015 by Cassandra Jeffery KELOWNA Now

The City of Vernon is looking to develop the Vernon Regional Airport over the next 20 years, and that begins with a new Airport Master Plan.The City is in the process of collaborating with local stakeholders and residents in order to construct a plan that will provide direction for the future of the airport, and as such, a draft of the plan is slated to be complete in September, 2015. The final Airport Master Plan is expected to be ready in June, 2016.The development process of the plan involves several stages: initiation and study, data collection, inventory and existing conditions airport activity; demand and forecasting, facility requirements, development concepts and activities, an implementation plan, and the draft document.Stakeholder interviews, committee workshops, public open houses, and consultation with the Okanagan Indian Band are also part of the engagement strategies in the development of the document.Since 1946, the Vernon Regional Airport has provided a variety of aviation services and has become a centre for airside manufacturing for the North Okanagan. However, seeing as the aviation industry in the Okanagan has evolved over the last few years, the City of Vernon believes that a new Airport Master Plan is in order. As such, the plan was identified as one of Council’s goals in the 2015-2018 strategic plan.

For more information, visit the Vernon Airport website.