Establishing a presence is a more reliable destination, Nanaimo Airport CEO Dave Devanna is bullish about their future. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

hopeful outlook

Direct Nanaimo to Toronto flights not renewed, YCD optimistic for future

Mar 2, 2026 | 5:37 AM

NANAIMO — Sporadically offered seasonally since 2018, much-anticipated direct flights linking Nanaimo and Toronto won’t return this year.

Air Canada confirms it won’t supply the route for a second consecutive year, which Nanaimo Airport president and chief executive officer Dave Devana conceded is disappointing, but not overly surprising.

Devana said fewer flights by large carriers to the United States last year worked in Nanaimo’s favour.

“Our first priority is to improve the connections that we have to Calgary, Kelowna and Vancouver. The second one is to prove that we have the demand to bring you to Toronto.”

Direct daily flights between Nanaimo and Kelowna took off two-and-a-half years ago.

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A recent vastly enhanced classification to the airport’s minimum descent altitude is slashing the number of cancellations caused by reduced visibility during inclement weather.

Devana said additional planned improvements in the months ahead should mean only a few flights annually are cancelled at YCD by poor weather.

YCD had thirteen cancellations in the first 23 days of January, and none since the added altitude clearance was approved by NAV Canada, Devana noted.

Building up a reputation for Nanaimo Airport as a reliable regional carrier tops the agenda, which Devana said is headed in the right direction.

“I want to give airlines no excuses to come here and frankly we had issues here with our reliability.”

Roughly 360,000 passengers passed through Nanaimo Airport in 2025, which was about the same as the prior year, Devana said.