Small B.C. airline Cascadia Airways ceases operation

Cascadia Airways, a small B.C. airline, has confirmed it is no longer currently operating.

In a written statement, the airline said Wednesday that “higher overall costs…have made it unsustainable to continue our operations for the time being.”

“This was not an easy decision to make as we value the employees, customers, and communities we have served since our airline began operations during the height of the pandemic,” the statement said.

However, the business said it is trying to resume operations in the future.

“The traumatic weather events (fires and floods) during the past few years, have demonstrated the need for a service such as ours,” the company said.

In the Okanagan, Cascadia had been flying to Vernon and Penticton.

In fact, it was the only airline offering scheduled flights to the Vernon Regional Airport.

The small airline’s scheduled service to Vernon was short-lived.

It only announced last spring it planned to run a regular Vancouver to Vernon route.

At the time, the City of Vernon was hopeful the new service would help boost tourism.

On Wednesday, the municipality called news the airline is no longer operating “unfortunate.”

2:11 Scheduled flights proposed for Vernon’s airport

Both the City of Vernon and Cascadia declined interview requests on Wednesday.

The city said the airline has requested “all public and media inquiries be directed to their company.”

In its statement, Cascadia Airways said it would be reaching out to customers “over the next few weeks,” and “any entitled refunds will be issued as soon as possible.”