(Image Credit: Kamloops Airport)

By Victor Kaisar

YKA Stats

Fewer flights, fewer passengers through Kamloops Airport in 2025

Jan 13, 2026 | 9:00 AM

KAMLOOPS — It was a slightly quieter year at Kamloops Airport, which released its year-end passenger totals for 2025 Monday (Jan. 12) afternoon.

There were a total of 293,840 passengers who made their way through Fulton Field, a five per cent drop from the 310,507 passengers in 2024.

“The overall decrease in 2025 reflects, in part, reduced flight frequencies from Calgary and Vancouver during the first three quarters of the year,” YKA Managing Director Jim Moroz said in a statement. “Frequencies increased at the end of October and passenger numbers began to recover accordingly.”

The data shows there were 80,338 passengers at Kamloops Airport between October and December, a five per cent increase from the 76,560 passengers during the same three month period of 2024. December numbers (29,065) were up 10 per cent from the previous year (26,427).

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“The increase experienced in [the fourth quarter] of 2025 can be attributed to the recovery of comparable frequencies to both Calgary and Vancouver, as well as increased seasonal service to Victoria,” Moroz added.

Kamloops Airport passenger stats for the final three months of 2025, compared with the same three month period in 2024. (Image Credit: Kamloops Airport)

Kamloops Airport saw a record 361,586 passengers in 2019 before two years of COVID-19 related woes meant flights were often grounded and passenger numbers remained low. Numbers began to pick up in 2022 (257,374) and a post-COVID record was set in 2023 (311,696).

“[We] continue to work closely with business and tourism partners on destination development to support regional tourism and commerce,” Moroz added. “Route development and increased flight frequency remain a top priority for Kamloops Airport Ltd. and Vantage Group.”

Kamloops Airport is currently working on a three-phased renovation plan to improve the overall passenger experience. A recently concluded survey of passengers identified the terminal’s departures lounge as the area in greatest need of improvement.

Kamloops councillor Bill Sarai, who is also the president of the Kamloops Airport Authority Society, is also hoping to lobby the provincial and federal governments to make it easier to train new pilots to address a shortage that tends to disproportionately impact regional airports like Kamloops.