Sustainability, international draw key for next 75 years at Kelowna airport

A mile of road gets you a mile of road.

The same goes for rail.

But if you have a mile of runway, you can get the world.

That’s from Sam Samaddar, the director of Kelowna airport. He’s been at the helm since 2008 and is eager to mark the facility’s operation for three-quarters of a century this year.

“It’s about connectivity,” he said, noting the importance of that as an economic driver for the Okanagan.

“Businesses make decisions to locate around the world based on that connectivity.”

Getting that mile of runway in Kelowna started in 1946 on the Dickson Ranch.

The decision to buy the land was sent to a plebiscite, with the controversial vote passing by the thinnest of margins: 466 to 460. The first flight took place in the fall of 1947 from a grass airfield. The airfield officially opened the following year.

Subsequent years saw continued and often rapid investment and expansion. The grass was converted to gravel in the mid 50s. In the 1970s, an air traffic control tower and on-site weather station were installed.

In 2008, YLW’s runway was extended to 8,900 feet, which made flights beyond North America possible.

Samaddar said ongoing massive and likely record investments will continue as the airport plots its course for the next 75 years of operation.

In the near term, millions will go towards the expansion of the airport’s combined operations building and replacing sections of the terminal roof. In addition, upgrades to the airfield lighting infrastructure will be made, along with the construction of runway end safety areas.

A massive terminal expansion that will nearly double its size and make way for more restaurants and shops is also on the books.

Beyond that, environmental consideration, Samaddar said.

“We don’t talk enough about the environment (and airports),” he said.

Reducing greenhouse gas emission, replacing aging infrastructure and meeting other environmental benchmarks are all part of long-term plans.

“We want to be a place that people want to come to,” he said. “The environmental piece is really critical. It’s a social piece that really governs the entire world.”

Several events are planned for 2022 to mark the anniversary. Highlights will include the opening of the KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence, and an aerial performance by the Snowbirds in July.