Kelowna city council considering 5% hike in airport parking fees

Parking fees at Kelowna International Airport could jump by 5% in 2023 and be adjusted to inflation every year after that.

If approved by city council on Monday, Nov. 28, the $2 cost of parking in both the short- and long-term parking lots will stay the same for the first hour but go up after that. The cost of each additional hour goes up 25 cents to $3.25 in both parking lots along with similar percentage increases to daily and weekly fees.

Council will be asked to tie future annual increases to the cost of living, rounded off to the nearest $0.25, which means the increases won’t have to be approved by council each year.

Even with the higher fees, parking in Kelowna is still a bargain compared to most of the six other airports listed in a report going to council.

The first hour of parking at Vancouver International Airport is $10 and $9 at Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport.

In Kelowna, long-term parking costs $15.75 per day, while it's $45 at Quebec City airport and $27.50 at Vancouver airport.

Victoria's airport is much closer to Kelowna’s prices. While longer term parking is more expensive in Victoria, it only costs $1 for each of the first two hours, compared to $2 for the first hour and $3.25 for the second hour in Kelowna.

If approved, the new airport parking fees take effect Jan. 3, and future increases will come into effect on the first weekday of each year.

City council will also be asked on Monday to increase fees at the H2O Centre by 5%.

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