The West Kootenay Regional Airport shook its Cancelgar moniker in December when 19 out of 21 scheduled commercial flights were completed successfully.
Airport manager Maciej Habrych reported to Castlegar city council this week that the month’s success rates were much better than the usual December.
He also reported that 66 per cent of seats were filled on those flights on average.
The City of Castlegar continues to work on a solution to increase year-round landing and takeoff reliability rates for the airport. In December, Required Navigation Performance (RNP) plans for the airport were submitted to regulators for approval.
READ MORE: City submits GPS landing procedure for West Kootenay Regional Airport to regulator for approval
RNP is a set of navigation specifications that use GPS along a precise flight path to create a high level of accuracy and integrity, which offers significant safety benefits over traditional approaches.
The city says it will allow aircraft to follow a guided approach into the valley, far below the minimum levels that are currently used, allowing aircraft to get lower and closer to the airport before deciding if they can land.
betsy.kline@castlegarnews.com
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