Direct flights to Seattle, Las Vegas resume at YLW

Air travellers in the Okanagan seeking southern routes during winter can now access a multitude of options through Seattle.

This week, Alaska Airlines announced its return to Kelowna International Airport, with direct flights from the Central Okanagan to the Emerald City.

Alaska Airlines had year-round flights between Kelowna and Seattle, but scaled them back this year to just winter and early spring (mid-December to mid-April), citing not enough traffic during summer and fall.

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“Our load factors during the peak summer season to Kelowna were significantly lower than the rest of our system,” Alaska Airlines told Global News in February. “Flights to that region of B.C. remain very popular during the winter.”

In Seattle, connections can made to a multitude of U.S. cities, like Hawaii, Chicago and Los Angeles, and Mexico.

“We are delighted to have Alaska Airlines back at YLW, providing our passengers with more options to travel to the United States and beyond,” said Sam Samaddar, Kelowna’s airport CEO. “Seattle is a popular destination for business and leisure travellers alike.”

Earlier this year, WestJet announced that it would restart direct flights between Kelowna and Las Vegas after a three-year hiatus.

Those direct flights began this week, on Friday morning, with WestJet offering twice-weekly frequencies.

“We are very excited to continue to see the commitment WestJet has made to our region,” said Samaddar.

“Las Vegas is a highly sought-after destination for our passengers, and we are thrilled that WestJet is meeting this demand with their new twice-weekly flights.”