NANAIMO – A piece of local aviation history happened this afternoon (December 15) as the first incoming Westjet Encore flight from Edmonton arrived safely at the Nanaimo airport. The inaugural flight arrived just before 2:00 PM, with a collection of dignitaries, company executives and curious members of the public on hand to welcome the first arrival of the recently announced Nanaimo to Edmonton air service.
“Securing direct service to Edmonton has been a top priority for the airport team for several years and now our passenger numbers support this expansion,” explained Mike Hooper, President and CEO of Nanaimo Airport (YCD).”Our strong growth in passenger numbers was a key factor in securing this route.”
The 78-seat Bombardier Q-400 turbo prop aircraft touched down at 1:47 PM, a few minutes ahead of schedule. To welcome the first flight and to mark the start of the new regular service the Nanaimo Airport hosted a celebration that included speeches, snacks and a barbecue.
According to an airport media release the Nanaimo Airport is already five years ahead of its anticipated passenger projections, with more than 315,000 people expected to travel though the facility by year’s end. Flights will leave Edmonton daily at 12:45 PM local time, and depart from Nanaimo at 2:25 PM. The non-stop trip takes about one hour and 50 minutes to complete.
More than 300 seats per day will depart for Alberta now that the new service has come on line. This service has been designed to complement the existing three daily non-stop flights currently connecting Nanaimo to Calgary with WestJet Encore and Air Canada Express. Nanaimo Airport now gives Central Island residents the choice of connection options in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
