Kamloops Airport receives $1.4M from Transport Canada to partially fund infrastructure improvements

Photo: Kristen Holliday

The check-in area at Kamloops Airport. YKA announced Thursday they will receive $1.4 million from Transport Canada to help fund infrastructure upgrades, such as taxiway rehabilitation and equipment purchases.

Kamloops Airport has received more than $1.4 million in funding that will help improve infrastructure at Fulton Field.

According to a YKA press release, the money will support the rehabilitation of two taxiways, and will also partially fund the replacement of aging airfield snow removal equipment.

The funding is provided by Transport Canada’s airports capital assistance program.

Ed Ratuski, managing director for Kamloops airport, said the funds comes at a time when airports are preparing for recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Advancing these critical infrastructure projects in 2021 is essential in providing a safe operating environment for passengers, airlines and all users of airport services and facilities,” Ratuski said in a statement.

Ratuski told Castanet Kamloops the airport is planning to complete a full-depth reconstruction of one taxiway and a resurfacing of another.

He said Transport Canada funds will cover 50 per cent of the engineering and construction costs, while the Kamloops Airport Authority Society will pay for the remainder through their capital reserves.

According to Ratuski, Transport Canada has increased the total amount of money that airports can apply to receive.

“Usually it was about $35 million, but they increased that to about $90 million each year for the next two years just because of the impact COVID is having on the airport’s revenue system, which normally would fund a big part of this,” Ratuski said.

In a statement, Mayor Ken Christian said the projects to be undertaken at YKA will help guarantee the facilities are in “excellent condition” to support the return of travel, when it’s safe to do so.

“The Kamloops Airport is an economic enabler for the City of Kamloops and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District,” Christian said.

“Continuous improvement and replacement of our airport infrastructure is vital in supporting not only essential passenger and cargo flights but critical to medevac and wildfire suppression operations at YKA.”

According to the YKA statement, the eight-week taxiway rehabilitation project is expected to begin in late July, with work being performed six days per week. Flight activity is not expected to be disrupted.