WestJet announces new direct flights to and from Vancouver and Penticton starting next year

Photo: Contributed

MLA Dan Ashton, Jared Mikoch-Gerk the WestJet Director Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs, Mayor John Vassilaki and Lyndie Hill with the Penticton Chamber of Commerce gathered to celebrate the announcement of WestJet's newest flight

Monday marked the release of WestJet's winter schedule and the announcement of service to the South Okanagan region, with a direct flight between Penticton and Vancouver at Penticton's Regional Airport.

Jared Mikoch-Gerke, WestJet director of government relations and regulatory affairs, said that this flight will start in February, in addition to their current route between Penticton and Calgary.

"[It] will be operated as a WestJet Link service by our partners at Pacific Coastal and will run six times per week, and will make WestJet the only carrier in Penticton to be serving both Calgary and Vancouver," he said.

Pacific Coastal Airlines currently services Penticton Airport from the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport independent of the WestJet Link program.

The new WestJet-run flights will fly out of the main terminal.

"This route further provides intra-BC connectivity to allow residents of the Southern Okanagan region to connect to the Lower Mainland and have access to our network of flights from our B.C. hub."

Mikoch-Gerke added that this is their first major step in rebounding from the pandemic and rebuilding their network, which they hope to continue to grow.

"This is a very, very happy occasion for the City of Penticton, the South Okanagan and Similkameen. I like the way WestJet thinks, they're thinking outside the box. And they have real trust not only in the City of Penticton, but the economic development that this new flight is going to create for the South Okanagan-Similkameen," Mayor John Vassilaki said.

"We appreciate them coming with another flight with Penticton which means that we've been supporting their flights to Calgary."

Vassilaki said he hopes to see early morning flights added in the future heading to Vancouver.

Photo: WestJet

The new flights which go into effect February 2023.