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YKA sees uptick in passengers, predicts pre-pandemic levels by 2024

Airport numbers taking off

Passenger numbers are taking off at Fulton Field, approaching pre-pandemic levels with more growth expected in the year ahead.

Ed Ratuski, Kamloops Airport's managing director, said he expects to reach pre-pandemic passenger levels a year from now.

According to numbers provided by Kamloops Airport, 257,374 passengers moved through the YKA terminal in 2022 — a 147 per cent increase from the previous year, but still well short of 2019’s record-setting numbers.

“In terms of pandemic recovery, Kamloops Airport served 83.7 per cent of our record-setting 2019 Q4 pre-pandemic traffic, continuing the strong growth trends first experienced in Q3,” Ratuski said in a news release.

“Although challenges stemming from the pandemic remain for the aviation and tourism sectors, passenger growth is currently forecast to surpass pre-pandemic levels in early 2024.”

In 2021, 104,385 passengers travelled through Kamloops Airport, down from 123,675 in 2020.

The airport counted 361,586 passengers in 2019, the last full year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ratuski said Kamloops Airport is keeping up with its disinfecting protocols put in place early on in the pandemic.



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