Year-round, non-stop flights between Edmonton and Newark announced

EDMONTON – United Airlines announced Wednesday plans to launch new flights between its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Edmonton International Airport (EIA).

United already serves Edmonton from its airports in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and seasonally from New York-Newark.

This new year-round, non-stop service will operate six times a week, both ways, on a United Airbus A319 jet, starting May 1 from Newark and May 2 from EIA. Newark Liberty International Airport is 30 kilometres from Manhattan and a quick train, bus or cab ride away from the Big Apple.

“New York was EIA’s number one non-stop destination target and we are excited, after years of hard work, to partner with United to bring this service to our region,” says Reg Milley, EIA President and CEO. “This is a major victory for our business community, who bolstered the drive to establish New York non-stop service with support letters and other powerful expressions of their willingness to use the service.”

“United is pleased to expand our network to include Edmonton’s first nonstop service to the U.S. East Coast,” said Jim Ferea, United’s managing director of domestic planning. “These new flights not only offer Edmonton travellers easy access to New York, but also offer convenient connections to points beyond from United’s leading trans-Atlantic hub at Newark Liberty.”

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New York City is a popular business and tourist destination for Edmontonians and Albertans. More than 44,000 passengers travelled between Edmonton and the New York region for business or pleasure in 2012 through Newark Liberty International Airport.

U.S. passenger traffic is the fastest-growing market at EIA, with a 10.5 per cent increase over the past 12 months.

United is also announcing new flights between Washington-Dulles and Vancouver starting June 8, 2013, which will operate Saturdays and Sundays through August 25, 2013. This new flight is in addition to other United flights already offered year-round to and from Vancouver, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, and San Francisco.

United will also begin flights between Denver and Fort McMurray beginning June 6, 2013. This will be the only nonstop service offered from Fort McMurray to the United States. The service will be comprised of daily flights operated by SkyWest Airlines.

Fort McMurray will be United Airlines’ 18th destination in Canada.

Also on Wednesday, nonstop Sunwing flights between Fort McMurray and Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit in Mexico begin.

In August, Sunwing announced it would start offering weekly Wednesday nonstop flights to Mexico December 19, 2012 to March 20, 2013.

“We are very pleased to welcome nonstop service from YMM to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on board Sunwing Airlines’ state of the art B737-800 aircraft,” said Fort McMurray Airport Authority President & CEO Scott Clements in August. “This is the first of several International passenger services expected in the near future,” he added.

“This is a major breakthrough for the community and will be welcomed by travelers that currently drive to Edmonton and often have to overnight to catch charter flights to Mexico.”

Sunwing already runs very successful year-round service from Calgary and Edmonton.

“Sunwing is famous for its ‘bringing our plane to your door’ program, serving communities across Canada with direct air service to the sun,” explained Daryl McWilliams, Vice President of Sunwing Sales and Marketing, “and we’re proud to have added Fort McMurray as our 33rd gateway to the sun.”