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Kelowna  

Smoky skies stop flights

Alanna Kelly

Over 1,000 people were delayed in their travels after smoke blanketed the Okanagan Valley, causing troubles for flights.

Both Kelowna International Airport and Penticton Regional Airport saw dozens of delays over the weekend.

Almost 30 flights total over 24 hours were cancelled, causing many people to have to reschedule their flights.

YLW Airport emergency operations manager Sean Parker said visibility has been a challenge all weekend, mainly for arriving flights.

“Right now, vertical isn’t the problem, it is the horizontal. We have been as low as half a mile,” he said. “We still need to have visual references when coming in.”

Parker said pilots need to have something to see as they are coming in.

“There are plans in place to hopefully get some recovery flights over the next day or two,” he said. “The airlines will do their very best to catch up and solve these problems.”

Incoming and departing flights to Penticton Regional Airport from Calgary and Vancouver were cancelled on both Saturday and Sunday.

Environment Canada meteorologist Jonathan Bau said visibility should get better as the week goes on.

“Maybe improve slightly throughout the week as smoke is pushed away from the Okanagan Valley,” said Bau.

Parker asks travellers to be patient and said airlines are in a difficult situation because there is nothing that can be done about the weather.

People should check their flight status online for updates.



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