Salmon Arm Airport (Image credit: Salmon Arm Flying Club/Facebook)
RUNWAY UPGRADES

Salmon Arm Airport runway to get a face lift

May 19, 2023 | 11:23 AM

SALMON ARM, B.C. — Salmon Arm Airport is benefiting from an investment in regional airport services and growth.

The B.C. NDP have announced a $19.8 million investment into the B.C. Air Access Program, which will support 40 projects at 29 facilities across the program.

The Salmon Arm Airport is one of those beneficiaries, receiving $1.2 million to rehabilitate the runway.

“The BC Air Access Program helps communities, especially smaller ones, with important improvements to their aviation facilities,” Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, stated. “This investment will help move people and goods, improve safety and benefit front-line services, like air ambulance and wildfire fighting, as well as making for more secure access to remote and Indigenous communities.”

Other airports in the region benefiting from the investment are Merritt Airport, $304,100 for security fencing; Revelstoke Airport, $772,100 to widen the runway; and Princeton Airport, $916,000 for lighting upgrades.

“Improving air services in rural and remote communities across B.C. helps serve everyone’s needs and improves our connections with the rest of the province and country,” Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development, said. “Aviation provides vital links to smaller communities, and this support will provide these airports and communities with better services, improved emergency-response capacity and more opportunities to grow their local economies.”