Conference Home Base – Hotel Partner

We're pleased to announce that the Delta Hotels Marriott Kamloops is our official conference headquarters and hotel, however, the preferred room rate for conference attendees has expired (we basically sold out the hotel – a first). You can try calling the reservation desk directly at +1 250-372-2281 to see if they can assist you, but current availability is very slim.

Fortunately, two of our year-round, network-wide Travel Partners, Sandman Hotel Group and Coast Hotels, have comfortable and convenient facilities in Kamloops at discounted rates for BCAC Supporters.

The Sandman BCAC code is BCAVIATION. If you choose to book with the Sandman Hotel, make sure that it's the Signature Sandman, as it's closest to the conference HQ. (Currently, options available for under $200/night)

The Coast Hotel BCAC code is BCAC97. Please note that the Coast Hotel Kamloops is further away from the main conference facilities than the Sandman Signature. (Currently, lowest price option is $258/night)

Questions? Contact us!

Flight Info

Prices are steadily increasing so book yesterday. Services like Expedia provide a good overview but then check the Travel Partners tab on the registration page for Air Canada, Pacific Coastal and Budget Car Rental discount codes.

BCAC25 Innovation Conference – Add-on Events Best Ever

At this year's conference, we have several exciting add-on events for everyone to both enjoy and build new relationships. Starting Sunday, June 1st, spend some quality time with your fellow attendees while enjoying some of the region's best craft beer, cider and wine (non-alcoholic beverages also available) and appetizers on the "Sips and Suds Touring Extravaganza". Substantive food is available at our final stop (not included). Transportation will be provided (pick up at the Delta Hotels Marriott lobby at 13:35) and all gratuities are covered. $49/person (steal!). Please register for this popular event via the Conference registration page.

On Monday, June 2nd, enjoy one of the top golf courses in Canada, Tobiano Golf Course designed by Thomas McBroom. Five tee times are all that's left. $189/person covers green fees, cart, 19th hole appetizer and taxes. Club rentals are available (additional cost).

Please Note: Golfers must arrange their own transportation to/from course. (35km, approximately 30+ minutes). Options include:

• Uride. Download the app to book your rideshare (approximately $60)
• Taxi from hotel (approximately $85)
• Car rental from YKA Travel Partner,Budget Car Rental. Find the discount promo code under the Travel Partners tab.
• If you are willing to drive fellow golfers to/from the course, please let your host David Nowzek know.

Please register for this add-on event via the Conference registration page.

If you're not a golfer, also on Monday, June 2nd, we're offering a guided tour of the BC Wildfire Operations Centre and the YKA airport. (If time permits, a tour of the Canadian Flight Centre facility as well.) Transportation will be provided – pick up at the Delta Hotels Marriott lobby at 12:15PM. The cost is $29/person for transportation. Please register for this add-on event via the Conference registration page.

Just 7 seats left.

Questions? Contact us!

Few Sponsorship Opportunities Remain

• Sip & Suds
• BC Wildfire Operations Centre/YKA Tour
• Signature Dinner Luxury Buses
• Lunch #1
• Some Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze Level
• Bring your vertical banner ($35)
• Donation of High-Profile Online Auction Item(s)

These events are still available for sponsorship. Please contact Dave for more information. Completely list of benefits attached to this Frequent Flyer.

Today, 5:15-7:30pm Pacific

On April 3 2025, Tony Swain, an accomplished racing driver, yachtsman, and pilot, left us to join the love of his life Mary.

Tony was born in Hull England in 1934 and at the age of twelve won a scholarship to a prestigious high school. His love of racing started early when he joined the bicycle racing team using his mother’s bike that he “modified” without her knowledge. More importantly, attending Hymers College allowed him to serve his military service as a pilot and he arrived in Canada for flight training in 1956. After completing his military service he became an engineering draftsman working on many cutting edge aviation projects, eventually settling in Vancouver. Enthusiastically embracing his passions for car racing and yachting, he met the love of his life Mary at a sailing club function. Shortly afterwards, they purchased a military surplus Harvard aircraft, the same type that Tony had learned to fly in a decade earlier. For the next 44 years the two were inseparable, living life to the fullest. Race tracks, boat anchorages, and airports all enjoyed their larger than life presence and generosity. A “raconteur extraordinaire”, Tony’s stories were the highlight of many a gathering. His encyclopedic knowledge of mechanical things, especially the Harvard aircraft, caused him to make a vast number of friends worldwide. He selflessly devoted a very large portion of his life to volunteering and guiding organizations that he was passionate about. Delta Heritage Airpark, the BC Aviation Council, the Experimental Aircraft Association, Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, the Jib Set Sailing Club, Westwood Racetrack, and many other organizations benefited from Tony’s dedication and insight. In later years he also became very involved with organizations helping the elderly with technology.

Tony is gone but his example of caring for communities as a whole and fostering cooperation between groups is not, as are the many hundreds of people’s lives whom he touched. Blue skies and tailwinds Tony.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Kitsilano Friday 6^th June, at 1:00pm at the Billy Bishop Legion (great choice), Branch 176 of the Royal Canadian Legion, a place Tony and Mary frequented and cherished for many years. 

Billy Bishop Legion,
Branch 176 of the Royal Canadian Legion
1407 Laburnum Street
Vancouver, B.C.   V6J 3W4

(Eulogy prepared by longtime friend Kevin Maher, photo provided by Carter Mann)

Another Newark airport disruption as Trump’s transportation secretary talks of reducing flights

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he plans to reduce the number of flights in and out of Newark’s airport for the “next several weeks” as it struggles with radar outages and other issues, including another Sunday that again slowed air traffic.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, Duffy said he will meet this week with all major carriers flying through Newark Liberty International, New Jersey’s largest airport. He said the number of flight cutbacks would fluctuate by time of day with most targeting afternoon hours when international arrivals make the airport busier.

In addition to equipment outages, the airport has been been beset by flight delays and cancellations brought on by a shortage of air traffic controllers.

“We want to have a number of flights that if you book your flight, you know it’s going to fly, right?” he said. “That is the priority. So you don’t get to the airport, wait four hours, and then get delayed.”

The Federal Aviation Administration reported a “telecommunications issue” as the latest setback Sunday, impacting a facility in Philadelphia that directs planes in and out of Newark airport. An FAA statement said the agency briefly slowed air traffic to and from the airport while ensuring “redundancies were working as designed” before normal operations resumed.

Infrastructure issues are increasingly a key concern at airports around the country.

In an unrelated incident, hundreds of flights were delayed Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — one of the world’s busiest — because of a runway equipment issue. The FAA said in a statement that it temporarily slowed arrivals into Atlanta while technicians worked to address the problem.

In Newark, Sunday’s disruptions came two days after radar at the Philadelphia facility went black for 90 seconds at 3:55 a.m. Friday, an episode that was similar to an incident on April 28.

The Trump administration recently proposed a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the U.S. air traffic control system, envisioning six new air traffic control centers and technology and communications upgrades at all of the nation’s air traffic facilities over the next three or four years.

The FAA said last week that it slows the rate of arrivals into Newark to ensure safety whenever staffing or equipment issues arise. The agency also noted that frequent equipment and telecommunications outages can be stressful, prompting some air traffic controllers to take time off “to recover from the stress.”

“While we cannot quickly replace them due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace,” the FAA said in a May 5 statement.

On average, there had been 34 arrival cancellations per day since mid-April at Newark, according to the FAA, with the number of delays increasing throughout the day from an average of five in the mornings to 16 by the evening. The delays tended to last 85 to 137 minutes on average.

Duffy said in his TV appearance Sunday that he wants to raise the mandatory retirement age for air traffic controllers from 56 to 61, as he tries to navigate a shortage of about 3,000 people in that specialized position.

And he also spoke of wanting to give those air traffic controllers a 20% upfront bonus to stay on the job. However, he says many air traffic controllers choose to retire after 25 years of service, which means many retire around the age of 50.

“These are not overnight fixes,” Duffy said. “But as we go up — one, two years, older guys on the job, younger guys coming in, men and women — we can make up that 3,000-person difference.”

Adding more air traffic controllers is in contrast to a top priority of the Trump administration — slashing jobs in nearly all other federal agencies.

However, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Duffy deserves credit for putting “caution tape” around FAA safety functions and separating those personnel from cost-cutting by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency — DOGE.

Kirby said United has already reduced its schedule at Newark and will meet with Duffy later this week. He expects a deeper cut in capacity to last until June 15 when construction work on one of Newark’s runways is expected to be complete, though he thinks some reductions will last throughout the summer.

“We have fewer flights, but we keep everything safe, and we get the airplane safely on the ground,” Kirby said. “Safety is number one, and so I’m not worried about safety. I am worried about customer delays and impacts.”

(Source: Associated Press. Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

PCA Charity Golf Tournament Sold Out

The 31st Pacific Coastal Airlines Memorial Golf Tournament is sold out, but you can still make a difference by becoming a sponsor! Click here to view the PCA 31st Memorial Golf Tournament silent auction items.

Starting with a humble mission to give back to the communities in memory of PCA founder Daryl Smith and his son, Sheldon, the annual PCA Memorial Charity Golf Tournament has raised the incredible amount of over $550,000 for local charities to date.

The BCAC administers three scholarships on behalf of Pacific Coastal Airlines including the PCA Daryl Smith Memorial Indigenous Youth Aviation Scholarship ($10,000), the Paul Biglin Memorial Indigenous Youth Aviation Training Scholarship ($10,000), and the Sheldon Smith Memorial Pilot–AME Aviation Training Scholarship ($10,000).

(Source: Pacific Coastal Airlines. Photo/PCA Instagram)

Ryanair Shifts Germany Focus To Regional Airports

Ryanair's regional additions come alongside capacity reductions, including a 17% cut at Berlin Brandenburg Airport

Ryanair is reshaping its German network for summer 2025 by focusing on regional airports while scaling back operations in major cities.

The carrier will introduce 14 new routes and 800,000 additional seats at airports like Baden-Baden, Bremen, Lübeck, Münster and Weeze, but this growth will not compensate for significant capacity cuts in larger markets such as Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, Leipzig and Dortmund.

The shift comes amid Ryanair's criticism of Germany’s high aviation costs, including air traffic control fees, aviation taxes and security levies. The airline has long argued that these rising costs have left Germany as one of Europe’s worst-performing aviation markets, with capacity in January 2025 at around 79% of pre-pandemic levels.

“While the German aviation market continues to collapse due to the government's abject failure to reduce high access costs, a few German regional airports such as Baden-Baden, Bremen, Lübeck, Münster and Niederrhein [Weeze] have acted with foresight and offset these high security and aviation costs through lower airport fees,” Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson says.

Ryanair plans to base one new aircraft at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport and one at Weeze Airport, while five new routes will launch from Baden-Baden, four from Weeze, three from Hamburg Lübeck Blankensee Airport and two from Münster Osnabrück International Airport.

The new services being opened include flights from Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden to Gran Canaria and Seville; Lübeck and Münster to both London Stansted and Malaga; and Weeze to Dubrovnik and Paphos. The routes from Lübeck mark the airline’s return to the airport for the first time since July 2014.

The planned regional additions come three months after Ryanair outlined the closure of bases in Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig—removing all routes from the airports in summer 2025—and a near 60% reduction in capacity at Hamburg Airport. Capacity is also being reduced by about 17% in Berlin and 6% in Cologne/Bonn.

According to the latest schedules filed with OAG Schedules Analyser, Ryanair plans to offer about 6.2 million departure seats from Germany during the summer 2025 season, down by 5% on summer 2024 and 11% lower than 2019 levels.

DLR, the German aerospace center, reported in December that Germany's low-cost aviation market has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, remaining more than 30% below 2019 figures. Unlike the broader European market, which has surpassed 2019 levels, the share of low-cost flights in Germany has dropped to under 30%, down from 33% in 2019. By contrast, Europe's low-cost market share now exceeds 35%, representing a 2% increase compared to pre-pandemic figures.

(Source: Aviation Week, David Casey. Photo/Alamy)

Campbell Riverite is first Canadian student to fly an electric plane solo

A Campbell River resident is celebrating the milestone of becoming Canada’s first-ever student pilot to fly solo in an electric airplane. Catherine Check said she has wanted to be a pilot since she was five years old and decided a few years ago to pursue it as a profession. 

After gaining experience with conventional airplanes, her instructor at Sealand Flight School offered her the opportunity to test an electric plane. On Dec. 18, with about 10 hours of training experience, the 18-year-old became the country's first-ever student pilot to fly solo in an electric airplane.

"The plane is a lot lighter, so you feel more turbulence," Check said. "But at the same time, the technology difference is remarkable."

Flying the electric plane felt safer than a conventional plane, Check explained, because she could monitor what's happening with the engine, batteries, and power more confidentially during the 50-minute flight. 

"It's really safe in my opinion," she said. 

Check said the achievement means a lot to her, as she is a female pilot in a male-dominated field. She said she hopes her success will encourage others to consider becoming pilots, especially because the future of air travel is more sustainable. 

Called a Velis Electro, the electric plane Check flew is ultra-quiet. It produces zero emissions and is expected to be less expensive than conventional training aircraft. According to Sealand Flight School, the flight represents a major milestone in the aviation industry’s pursuit of sustainability.

With the backing of Clean BC, BC Hydro, and Transport Canada, Sealand Flight is leading this initiative and takes immense pride in Check's achievement.

“After sending students solo in conventional airplanes for over 20 years, it was exciting and rewarding to watch Catherine solo in an electric airplane for the first time,” said Ian Lamont, the company's chief flight instructor.

This pioneering initiative serves as a foundation for implementing more commercial zero-emissions aircraft reads a media release from the flight school. Through the electric airplane training flights, Canada's regulators and industry members are studying and evaluating how aviation can feasibly adopt these emerging technologies, it says.

(Source: Campbell River Mirror, Robin Grant. Photo/Sealand Flight)

Harbour Air Expands Service with 155+ Daily Flights for Spring & Summer Season

British Columbia's Leading Local Airline Boosts Connectivity To 12 Coastal Destinations, With Fares From As Low As $59 One-Way*

Harbour Air, British Columbia's leading local airline offering efficient, affordable and scenic coastal travel, today unveiled its enhanced spring and summer flight schedule. Beginning May 1, 2025, the carrier will operate more than 155 daily flights connecting 12 spectacular west-coast destinations, enabling fast, seamless travel across its flight network. This significant service expansion provides quick alternatives to ferry travel, making it the ideal time for both residents and visitors to explore the province's breathtaking landscapes with one-way fares starting from just $59*.

With their upcoming spring and summer schedule launch, Harbour Air continues to connect communities across the west-coast, providing travelers with increased flight choice and flexibility. The airline’s daily flights provide quick and seamless travel in under one hour to 12 destinations across greater Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and more, starting from as low as $59 one-way*.

Increased daily flight frequencies starting May 1, 2025:

• 155+ daily flights across 12 west-coast destinations
• 20x daily departures between Vancouver-Victoria
• 12x daily departures between Vancouver/Richmond-Nanaimo
• 7x daily departures between Vancouver/Richmond-Salt Spring Island
• 4x daily departures between Richmond-Victoria
• 4x daily departures between Vancouver/Richmond-Powell River
• 2x daily departures between Vancouver-Seattle and Nanaimo-Sechelt

Seasonal route relaunches:

• Return of Victoria-Salt Spring Island seasonal route
• Return of Whistler, Tofino and Comox seasonal routes
• Return of Whistler Spectacular Glacier and Whistler Valley scenic tours (May 15+)

“As the busy spring and summer travel season approaches, Harbour Air is proud to be able to serve the travel needs of both locals and tourists alike through increasing our flight capacity and frequency at key times,” states Chris Fordyce, VP of Commercial, Harbour Air. 

“With 155+ daily flights across our network, seasonal routes, everyday low fares, and more flight choices for travelers, our new spring and summer schedule will provide guests with fast, convenient and truly scenic travel experiences throughout beautiful B.C.”

Travelers can learn more and book early to save on their spring and summer travel by visiting https://harbourair.com/2025-summer-schedule.

*Rate reflective of all-in price of a one-way Light fare for travel between Vancouver and Nanaimo. Fares are available for travel between May 1,2025 and September 30, 2025. Book by March 31,2025 or while seats last.  

(Source: Harbour Air, Media Relations. Photo/Harbour Air) 

Sincere thanks to our amazing 2025 Innovation Conference Sponsors.

Visit our Travel Partners for year-round Supporter savings.

The BC Aviation Council gratefully acknowledges the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and RBC as Pillar Partners. Thank you for your support!

The Council is actively pursuing a number of additional Pillar Partners.