Agreement planned to allow UBCO students and staff to use airport parking

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UPDATE 2:20 p.m.

Officials with UBC Okanagan say it's premature to say any deal with YLW to utilize the airport as a possible solution to the parking crunch at the university is close.

While a report for Monday's council meeting seems to indicate suggests council approval is the final hurdle, that apparently is not the case.

University officials tell Castanet News discussions between the university and airport are still in the preliminary stages.

The university still has numerous hurdles to clear including legal and logistics in getting people back and forth between the two sites.

While prices have also been discussed, no firm figure has been established.

Any decision by council Monday would allow those talks to progress.

It's not clear how long it will take for the talks to progress to a successful resolution.

ORIGINAL12:30 p.m.

Kelowna International Airport and UBC Okanagan are working on an arrangement that would allow students and staff of the university to utilize unused parking at the airport.

The plan only needs city council approval.

The deal would help solve two problems, parking lots not fully utilized at the airport due to the impact of COVID-19, and a need for UBCO to find additional parking.

"By partnering together, UBCO will be able to provide its students and staff with further parking options, and the airport will be able to diversify its revenue streams,"a staff report for Monday's council meeting suggests.

A local shuttle would be utilized to get people from the airport to the university.

With the uncertainty of COVID and air travel, it's unclear if any arrangement would take for the extend beyond 2021.