With localized fog Monday (Dec. 11), and no alert from Environment Canada, flights in and out of Qualicum Beach Airport were being rerouted.
Both KD Air and Orca Airways fly in and out of Qualicum Beach Airport.
As of 9:50 a.m. Monday morning, KD Air was evaluating the weather conditions and had plans to re-route the flights through Nanaimo airport. A worker with KD Air said flights would still be going, but would be delayed.
Also Monday, Orca Airways first flight from Qualicum Beach to Vancouver was delayed due to fog and the second flight from Vancouver to Qualicum Beach was rerouted to Nanaimo Airport due to fog, according to Orca Airways administration.
Mike Hooper, Nanaimo Airport president and CEO, said Nanaimo Airport hosts other air carriers from time to time since the airport has an instrument landing system (ILS) which is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides lateral and vertical guidance to an airport approaching a runway. Hooper said the ILS allows planes to come to Nanaimo Airport when there is poor visibility at other locations such as Qualicum Beach Airport.
Last week, a fog advisory was issued for east Vancouver Island from Nanoose Bay to Fanny Bay, and multiple flights were cancelled Thursday and Friday (Dec. 7 and 8) at Qualicum Beach Airport.
KD Air said no flights departed or arrived at Qualicum Beach Airport on Thursday, Dec. 7, and through 11 a.m. Friday morning, no KD Air flights had left the airport.
Orca Airways had its first flight since Wednesday (Dec. 6) leave Qualicum Beach Airport Friday. The flight was at 10:30 a.m., but Orca Airways wasn’t sure any other flights would be leaving or coming into Qualicum Beach Airport.
To stay up to date about flights coming in or leaving Qualicum Beach Airport, visit www.kdair.com or www.flyorcaair.com/flightstatus.php.
The original Environment Canada fog advisory was issued Friday, Dec. 8 at 5:12 a.m. The advisory stated there is “near zero visibility” in the fog. It went on to say the fog would likely persist through the afternoon.