Kelowna City Council will hear a presentation this afternoon about expansion plans to the Kelowna Airport and a request to up the departing passenger fee from 15 dollars to 20 dollars.
YLW is busier than anyone anticipated. This week, it'll welcome the two millionth passenger through security this year and that's now the all-time record.
Airport Director Sam Samaddar says they've got to look ahead because if the increased traffic continues at the current pace, more expansion will be necessary long before predicted. The expansion planned for now will cost more than 180 million dollars with part of it paid for with the increase in the departing passenger fee.
Samaddar says, "As an airport we're certainly supporting the economy of the entire region. We've got people coming here from around the world that are destined beyond the city of Kelowna."
Samaddar adds they are already planning to make sure there is enough land around the airport to expand even more in future. "Over time, we've made strategic investments. We recently bought the golf course and the polo fields to the east of the golf course. We continue to make those investments so the airport will be a part of the Kelowna community for a long time to come."