YLW Connection - Summer 2008 - (Page 20)

Freight Handling At | B Y RON MANZ YLW M ost people’s thoughts of airports centre on the departure or arrival of the travelling public. Few of us realize the movement of freight and air cargo is an equally important role airports play in our everyday world. Kelowna International is on the fast track to becoming Canada’s ninth busiest airport. Nearly 1.4 million people passed through the facility last year, an 11% growth over 2006. However, passenger growth isn’t the only area seeing a meteoric rise. The number of packages or parcels being moved in and out of Kelowna is actually growing at a faster rate according to Assistant General Manager, Airport Operations, Dave Fuller. “Air cargo was huge here until the Connector highway to Vancouver was opened,” said Fuller. “Now small packages have taken over that niche and our growth in that industry is directly related to the increase in business occurring throughout the Okanagan and southern BC.” Kelowna airport services an area stretching from the U.S. border north to the Shuswap and from Merritt in the west to Golden in the east when it comes to courier coverage. Scheduled airlines Air Canada Jazz and WestJet carry limited cargo on their passenger flights. Three other companies currently operate flights daily Monday through Friday in and out of Kelowna handling the remainder of the cargo/freight demand. Purolator (main hub Winnipeg), UPS (main hub Louisville, Kentucky) and Federal Express (main hub Memphis, Tennessee) are each handling up to 2000 packages each day totaling over 20,000 pounds and all harbour asLeft to right: Pina Starnino - Vice President Ground Operations, Mayor Sharon Shepherd, David Binks - President Canada, Denys Fredette - Manager Director of Sales, Shane Cameron - Account Executive for Okanagan pirations of growing that business. “Each of them is seriously looking at the feasibility of flying product directly to their main hubs from Kelowna based on the growth patterns taking place here,” added Fuller. “Our airport will always be able to handle the number of cargo flights coming and going. Where we are limited is in the amount of ground space we have for them.” Right now Kelowna Flightcraft has a contract with Purolator to fly all their planes and to also conduct all the maintenance work on Purolator’s entire fleet. UPS just recently opened a new sorting station in Winfield and it uses the airport’s general use second apron at the north end of the airport. Federal Express just expanded its operation on Airport Way and contracts its apron space, aircraft and regional flying through Carson Air also based here in Kelowna. “Courier companies are very timesensitive with planes spending only a couple of hours on the ground so they can make hub connections,” notes Fuller. “Our companies have all developed sorting operations locally which now allow them to push same-day or next-day service which is an incredible benefit for businesses throughout the Valley.” A sure sign there is a growth pattern in the Okanagan for courier companies is the fact that Federal Express just opened a new office, customer service facility and counter, and a sorting and warehouse operation in June. They have gone from one courier in the Valley, to 22 employees now serving an area from Penticton to Armstrong. “This location has a 20-year history in the community and we believe the expansions will further stimulate business in Kelowna and the Interior,” stated Pina Starnino, vice president operations for FedEx Express Canada. “We look forward to growing with this community for another 20 years.” It is the first company expansion in the past two years and now gives Kelowna a direct link to a company with worldwide connections according to Canadian FedEx President David Binks. “Items will transit to another FedEx location and on from there across Canada, across the world,” said Binks, “You’re actually connecting to the largest nonpassenger airline in the whole world when you use FedEx.” n 20 YLW CONNECTION

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of YLW Connection - Summer 2008

YLW Connection - Summer 2008
Contents
Carrying Through on the Interim: Sam Samaddar, Interim Airport General Manager
Live Fire
Reserve RCMP program
Calgary – Heart of the New West
Penticton – A True Okanagan Experience
Penticton’s Meeting Place
Flying High Jet Fuel: Implications for the Aviation Industry
Airport Services
Backcountry Adventure
The UPS Store Welcomes Brown to Town
Freight Handling at YLW
Pack Smart, Travel Light plus Keeping Fit while Traveling
Kelowna Art Gallery Launches Satellite Gallery
Heli-Wine Tours
Let’s Get Technical: The Air Up There
YLW News
Trivia & Games

YLW Connection - Summer 2008

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