Photo: Madison Reeve

Passengers line up to go through security at Kelowna International Airport in December 2024.

Increased passenger numbers have pushed Kelowna International Airport up the ranks.

YLW is now the 9th busiest airport in Canada, based on 2024 passenger volumes and the growth didn’t show any signs of lagging to start 2025.

The first quarter of the year saw a 10.4 per cent increase in volume compared to the same time last year.

“We are thrilled to share that YLW has achieved the ranking of the 9th busiest airport in 2024,” said chief executive officer Sam Samaddar.

“The significant increase in passenger traffic and our new ranking highlights YLW's vital role in connecting people and fostering economic growth. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, the ever-growing confidence of our passengers in our services, and the continued support of our industry and community partners.”

Kelowna leapfrogged Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to move from 10th in 2023 to 9th at the end of 2024.

2025 is off to a strong start, with January passenger volume up 12.8 per cent, with 197,630 air travellers passing through the gates, compared to 175,238 in the first month of 2024.

February saw 191,204 passengers, compared to 176,300 in 2024 and in March the year-over-year increase was 10 per cent, with a passenger volume of 203,251.

The latest report from Statistics Canada shows cross-border visits to the United States plummeting. WestJet announced last week that it is suspending its Kelowna to Seattle route this summer, but Alaska Airlines still offers year-round daily service between the two cities.

To keep up with shifting demand, airlines are adding domestic flights. This summer, YLW is increasing seat capacity for July and August. Domestic seat capacity is up 18 per cent and network capacity is up 20 per cent.

Porter Airlines officially launches its new service between Kelowna and Toronto on Wednesday.