A new airline says it will offer service between Waterloo and Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor and Montreal going forward.
Pivot Airlines says it has reached an agreement with the Region of Waterloo to provide the service once it receives regulatory approval.
Brock Henderson, Pivot’s vice president of operations control, told Global News that “tickets are anticipated to cost between $90 and about $250 plus taxes and fees.”
He described Pivot Airlines as “a new company which draws from a legacy of 25 years as a partner carrier for two different Canadian major airlines.”
Henderson says it is also looking to expand to two other Ontario markets which have recently lost service with an eye towards cross-border travel down the road.
“Our legacy is in transborder travel and we will also be closely monitoring the situation in the United States for future expansion plans,” he said while noting that it will likely be at least a year before Pivot offers trips south of the border.
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Henderson says the company is still working out details on when its planes will begin to carry passengers.
“Pivot is finalizing the routes, dates and schedule over the coming month,” he said. “We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation as students return to school and expect that we will have the required predictability to commence service within the next few months. “
Regional chair Karen Redman welcomed the airline to Waterloo Region.
“As the 10th largest urban area in Canada, our residents made 154,300 trips by air last year to the destinations announced today,” she said.
Pivot Airlines says it will use Canadian-made made CRJ Jets and De Havilland Dash 8 Regional Turboprops as it moves people to other markets.
“The regional airline model in Canada is changing, and we are ideally positioned to play a critical role,” the company stated. “We believe as people return to travel, modern regional airports will play a larger role than what we have seen in the past.”
It says the agreement with the region will also allow it to build maintenance, operations and office facilities at the airport.
“These are challenging times – yet COVID-19 will end and demand for air travel is growing. If you need to travel by air, we urge residents to support local air service. We believe Pivot’s new service will encourage investment and create jobs in Waterloo Region.”
Currently, Westjet is the only major Canadian airline offering service from Waterloo Regional Airport with weekly service to Calgary.
Sunwing also flies to some vacation destinations during the winter months.
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