Swoop’s inaugural flight takes off at YLW

Today, Kelowna International Airport (YLW) celebrated the arrival of ultra-low-cost carrier Swoop and its inaugural non-stop flight between YLW and Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG).

Service to Winnipeg marks the first of two destinations with Swoop operating out of YLW. Next month, Swoop will launch twice-weekly non-stop service from YLW to McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.

“We are proud to welcome a new ultra-low-cost carrier to YLW,” said Sam Samaddar, Airport Director. “Having Swoop in Kelowna is a great opportunity for the Okanagan, as it gives travellers more options to fly, and explore other parts of Canada this summer.”

The three-times weekly service operates on modern Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a total capacity of 189 seats. Demand for direct non-stop service to Winnipeg has doubled since 2017. Service with Swoop is scheduled to operate until October 25.

“Today Swoop brings three-times weekly service between Kelowna and Winnipeg to life,” said Karen McIsaac, Sr. Advisor of Communications at Swoop. “Our non-stop flights enable a simple travel experience, making ‘home for the weekend’ a lifestyle option, while also promoting more inter-provincial tourism.”

YLW is also one of Canada’s fastest growing airports for domestic travel. In 2018, passengers totalled a record-breaking 2,080,372, a 31 per cent increase or more than 486,700 passengers over the last three years.

About Swoop

Established in 2018, Swoop is an ultra-low-cost airline, independently operated as part of the WestJet Group of companies, offering point-to-point scheduled service to 14 destinations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean.

To book your next flight with Swoop, visit FlySwoop.com