Penticton flight school grounded

Students at a flight training school in Penticton will no longer be taking to the skies.

After 10 years in operation, Southern Skies Aviation will shut its doors effective immediately.

Owner and director Mark Holmes says the company will be put up for sale or divest its assets in the near future.

He says over the years, the number of students enrolled in the school has dropped from as many as 12 to just four students this year.

He has a list of 65 students interested in the program but says they cannot afford it.

Holmes says soaring fuel prices and a struggling economy are partly to blame but believes the government needs to provide more financial assistance for aviation students.

He says government student loans only cover tuition but the majority of student expenses come from the cost of operating the planes.

Holmes says he will help his last few students graduate but then the school will close for good.