New WestJet flight brings sun destinations closer

WestJet starts a new daily Nanaimo-Vancouver flight on Thursday, December 14. It means reduced travel time to warmer climates.

Travellers can easily connect to any of WestJet’s 505 weekly flights this winter out of Vancouver. Residents from Central Vancouver Island can visit most parts of the world within hours of leaving their homes. And flying out of Nanaimo to start a trip is easier and faster than fighting ferry traffic to get to the airport in Vancouver.

“The community has been asking for this service for several years, so we are thrilled,” says Nanaimo Airport Commission Chair Lucie Gosselin.

WestJet’s’s 78-seat Bombardier Q400 plane will arrive daily at Nanaimo Airport at 12:38 p.m. It leaves for Vancouver at 1:10 p.m.

The new route is in addition to WestJet’s two daily flights to Calgary. Air Canada flies daily to Calgary and offers nine daily Air Canada Express flights from Nanaimo to Vancouver.

The new service benefits the people who live and work in our area. It makes travel even more convenient. And it creates even more opportunities for business owners, investors and workers.

New direct connections from Vancouver mean new markets, customers and jobs can be pursued from a base in the Central Island.

“Developing service is key to Nanaimo Airport’s continued growth to ensure safe, reliable transportation for Central Vancouver Island residents,” says Mike Hooper, President and CEO of Nanaimo Airport. “This announcement is a major indicator of how strongly the Mid-Island region is supporting WestJet Encore service.”

Passenger volumes at Nanaimo Airport have more than doubled since 2006.

The Central Island’s airport of choice is planning a multi-million-dollar expansion of its air terminal building.