Kamloops, Canada
Vantage Group manages Kamloops Airport (YKA), an important travel hub for leisure and business and an economic engine in Western Canada.
Since welcoming Kamloops Airport to the network, Vantage has overseen some $60 million (CAD) in capital improvement projects, including a terminal expansion and renovation, runway extension, and upgrades to airfield lighting and navigational aids.
With an award-winning ski resort, championship golf courses, and a growing wine industry, Kamloops is a destination of choice in Western Canada. Through strong airline relationships, Vantage has broadened air service to include charter transborder and low-cost carrier flight operations, stimulating the local tourism sector.
A recent economic impact study detailed Kamloops Airport’s value as a passenger gateway and jobs creator for the region it serves.
Economic activity generated by the airport annually (CAD)
Direct, indirect, and induced jobs created, generating more than $27.8 million in annual wages (CAD)
Jobs created in the hospitality sector
Increase in passenger numbers since 2004
Kamloops Airport plays a number of important roles in the community it serves.
With one ticket and one stop, passengers can access hundreds of destinations across North America and around the world, on flights operated by Air Canada and WestJet through hub airports in Vancouver and Calgary.
Through a strategic marketing alliance with local chambers of commerce and tourism associations, Vantage and YKA are lending expertise and resources to destination marketing campaigns, putting Kamloops and its many attractions on the map.
YKA is a critical base for emergency wildfire response across British Columbia, with an expanded BC Wildfire Management campus opening in 2024.
Vantage is leading the proactive development of airport-adjacent land for both aviation and non-aviation activities. Recent rezoning has opened options for light industrial, commercial, and accommodation development in the area, diversifying revenue and generating economic growth.
For nearly a decade, Vantage and Kamloops Airport have partnered with Kamloops’ Thompson Rivers University to fund an education award for international students pursuing post-secondary education in business or tourism. In that time, nearly $75,000 (CAD) has been distributed to students.
Thanks to the network connection between Kamloops Airport and Vantage’s Lynden Pindling International Airport in The Bahamas, many Bahamian students have benefited from the award, strengthening connections between two Vantage locations.
Let’s partner to bring your ideas to life, building sustainable, connected airports and transportation centers together.