WATCH: Want to work at YLW? Now’s the time

As the aviation sector rapidly bounces back from the body blow that was the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelowna International Airport and its partners are looking to hire – and fast.

The airport hosted a hiring fair with employers who service the airport terminal building canvasing passerby with employment opportunities. Companies ranging from security to janitorial services, customer service and cargo agents are looking to staff up.

Pre-COVID-19, YLW saw two million people pass through annually, but during the pandemic, those numbers dropped significantly. That eventually lead to many employees either leaving the industry or facing lay offs.

“The aviation industry was hit the hardest across Canada and it happened really quickly. People left the industry, and they haven’t come back,” Senior Manager of Airport Operations, Phillip Elchitz, told Kelowna10.

He said there’s been a strong resurgence in demand for air travel in the last six to eight months, which is putting pressure on facilities and workers alike.

“There’s a lot of processes at the airport that are labour intensive. Things like check-in with your pre-board screening, getting something to eat, the retail pieces as well,” he said. “The fact we can’t staff all those positions really makes it more difficult for the passenger, because they have a certain level of expectation.”

Bryadon Wilkinson, with Executive Aviation, was among the many employers looking for potential applicants. His organization was specifically looking for ground handlers to move luggage in and out of planes ready for travel.

“A year ago, we were definitely, really understaffed, like at least 15 to 20 people under. Over the last few months, we’ve been able to get more people, but we still need more,” he said.

Wilkinson hopes to get as many resumes as possible as the airport resumes normal activity.

“Something like this is great to just have more people in and find out more about us,” he said. “Now, we’re slowly getting back to normal, if not exceeding, but we need people pretty badly.”