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WestJet flight’s in Penticton affected in reduction plan

Flights between Penticton and Calgary are being affected as part of the company’s overall service-reduction plan in the west.
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WestJet employee Lois Mordan directs passengers boarding the Bombardier Q400 Nextgen aircraft at Calgary International Airport Oct. 24

UPDATE: The new flight times have been updated to reflect the correct days. Information previously provided to the Western News from WestJet was incorrect.

WestJet’s Encore non-stop flights between Penticton and Calgary are being affected as part of the company’s overall service-reduction plan in the west.

However, based on the current scheduling of once-daily trips between the cities, there will actually be one additional flight three days of the week starting Feb. 15.

Prior to the airline’s recently announced scheduling changes, WestJet had arranged to start twice-daily service to and from Calgary, seven days a week, beginning on that date.

According to manager David Allen of Penticton Regional Airport, the added flights were actually supposed to start last October but were put off until February when the necessary expansion work to the airport’s holding zone was to be completed.

The zone is the secure area where passengers wait after passing through security.

Currently Encore flights arrive just after 2 p.m. and leave about an hour later.

According to Robert Palmer, WestJet public relations manager, the new additional flights will land in Penticton in the evening and leave the following morning.

Next month when the additional Encore flights to Calgary begin, the plane will arrive in Penticton in the evenings Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday and depart the following mornings.

“With the downturn in the economy we are seeing less demand for travel to and from energy markets into areas across Canada,” said Palmer.  “WestJet bases our service in part on supply and demand and review our schedule and network on a regular basis to ensure we are meeting guests’ needs while maintaining profitable flying on behalf of our shareholders.”

He added the company has in the past adjusted its service where necessary and will do the same in the future as the needs change.

WestJet began flying between Penticton and Calgary with its 78-passenger Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft on Oct. 25, 2014 with the seven-day-a-week regularly scheduled flights.

The response was so good that it was decided after less than a year’s service to add additional flights. However. that was cut back, largely because of the Alberta oil slump.

According to WestJet officials, the travel demand began to slow last spring and is expected to continue this year.

Penticton is, at least for now, faring much better than other cities.

The airline is completely cancelling direct flights to Calgary from Terrace and Prince George as well as all flights to Edmonton and Kamloops and Nanaimo.

There will also be reduced flights between Edmonton and Abbotsford. All of the changes are expected to be in place by March 5. In total, nearly 90 scheduled flights between Alberta and B.C. are being cut.