New flights from BC airports this year connect province to Asia, Europe, U.S.
Increased traffic at BC airports like YVR and Kelowna International offer more options to residents and bring more visitors to the province. Photo courtesy Larry Goldstein.
A series of new regular flights in 2012 at major BC airports have made the province more internationally connected than a year ago.
Recently, Kelowna International Airport welcomed the first United Airlines direct flight from Los Angeles. This connects these two major North American cities for the first time by a daily flight. The airline also plans to fly twice on Saturdays between January and April starting next year.
“This new, direct United Airlines service to Kelowna will create new opportunities for businesses throughout the region and create jobs for B.C. families,” said transportation minister Mary Polak. ”At the same time, this will help to strengthen our aviation sector and connect B.C. with the world.”
Earlier this year a service from North Western made the trip to Red Deer easier, and a seasonal WestJet service to Los Angeles and Phoenix connected Kelowna to those cities.
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Canada’s second busiest airport, Vancouver International Airport, also has a reason celebrate. In 2012 it witnessed the start of regular direct service to three different countries.
Lufthansa started a direct flight to Munich in May. It is a daily service which will continue well into October of 2013.
Virgin Atlantic announced a seasonal service from Vancouver to the U.K. which runs from May to October each year, serving around 40,000 passengers.
Sichuan Airlines from China also started a direct flight from Chengdu. It is the only airline that directly connects North America to a major non-coastal Chinese city. It flies between the countries three times a week.
The government hopes that this increased connectivity through BC airports will bring in more international passengers and benefit the provincial economy.
It estimates the province will gain $8.7 million from the start of Lufthansa flights and $21.7 million from the direct flights to the U.K.