Rain and wind did not dampen the enthusiasm for welcoming a new airline to Kelowna International Airport (YLW) on Wednesday (May 14).

Porter Airlines乌鸦传媒� inaugural flight from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) landed in Kelowna just before 11 a.m., complete with a welcoming audience and water cannon salute. 

The salute marks the first flight of a carrier into an airport and is also used to recognize the retirement of a senior pilot or air traffic controller.

乌鸦传媒淎s we say in our business, we have a new tail in town,乌鸦传媒� YLW CEO Sam Samaddar told the crowd invited to the event. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e incredibly privileged to have Porter join our family. We know there is going to be tremendous demand for the service.乌鸦传媒�

Andrew Pierce, vice president, of network planning and reporting for Porter Airlines, said the company has been looking at the Okanagan since 2021.

乌鸦传媒淪o look forward to a market like this that has the summer and winter destinations, and has such a choice for both business and leisure travellers.乌鸦传媒�

Mayor Tom Dyas noted the fact that YLW was recently named the ninth busiest airport in the country, exceeding 2.1 million visitors in 2024.

乌鸦传媒淩ecognizing that more and more people are looking at Canadian alternatives for vacations, and with Porter Airlines coming direct from Toronto to Kelowna, it乌鸦传媒檚 creating another opportunity.

He also highlighted the work of Samaddar and his team.

乌鸦传媒淎ll of those individuals to be able to work in conjunction with the airline providers and see what they need in order to be able to bring these types of flights to our community乌鸦传媒攖hey have strong, positive relationships乌鸦传媒攖hat is making the difference for Kelowna and the Okanagan.乌鸦传媒� 

Porter will begin with five weekly round-trips, increasing to daily service on June 23.

• Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) to Kelowna (YLW) - Depart 9:15 a.m. Arrive 10:55 a.m.
• Kelowna (YLW) to Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) - Depart 11:50 a.m. Arrive 7:00 p.m.

The route is operated on the new . The two-by-two configuration means no middle seats. The onboard experience provides passengers with complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, premium snacks and free WiFi. The PorterReserve fare includes fresh, healthy meals and the ability to change flights.

Booking is available on the .