Dozens of flights cancelled due to no-fly zone over B.C. wildfire
Dozens of flights have been impacted by the spread of a wildfire in B.C.'s Interior.
The City of Kelowna warned Monday night that operations out of its local airport were being impacted by the White Rock Lake fire.
The fire's boundary has moved toward Lake Okanagan, the city said, and there's a no-fly zone stretching up to 10,000 feet above sea level.
The result was the cancellation of all scheduled flights Monday evening, and dozens more into and out of Kelowna International Airport (YLW) Tuesday morning.
Through the city, the airport's senior operations manager said staff were working with industry stakeholders to find an interim solution.
"We appreciate travellers' patience with this evolving situation," Phillip Elchitz said, likening the cancellations to those seen during major storms, and reminding passengers to check with their airline for up-to-date information.
Later Tuesday morning, Elchitz said interim measures put in place in the afternoon will allow for departures and approaches to resume at around 3 p.m.
He did not provide further details on what those measures are, other than that they were established in partnership with the BC Wildfire Service, NavCanada and Transport Canada
YLW's website showed dozens of cancelled flights Tuesday including those coming in from Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto.
Its departures board showed an equal amount of red, with cancellations including flights to Prince George, Edmonton and other cities.
Some flights did appear to have left the airport or arrived safely, however.
The Kamloops Airport, YKA, noted a few cancellations, but most on Tuesday morning appeared to be unaffected by the fires.
Still, the airport posted on social media that it had been experiencing delays and disruptions due to low visibility and airspace restrictions.
These restrictions are due to airtanker activity, the Kamloops Airport posted.
Passengers passing through that airport are also advised to check with their airline.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Auston Matthews returns for Game 7, but Leafs minus injured goaltender Joseph Woll
Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews returned to the lineup for Game 7 against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.