London, Ont., is adding some flair to its airport as a new low-cost airline has been cleared for landing in the city.
Flair Airlines, Canada’s largest ultra-low fare carrier and the fastest-growing airline in the country, announced a partnership Tuesday morning with the London International Airport.
The airline’s expanding fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft currently serves more than 30 cities across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
“London International Airport is ecstatic to welcome Flair Airlines to London for the first time in history,” said Scott McFadzean, president and CEO of London International Airport.
“We look forward to building the relationship with Flair Airlines over the long term and offering travellers in London and Southwestern Ontario direct air service to exciting destinations at extremely affordable prices.”
Earlier this year, Flair was under review to determine whether the airline should be considered Canadian after it received a sizeable investment by a U.S.-based company.
On June 1, the Canadian Transportation Agency declared Flair Airlines to be Canadian, saying the company passed the test and its licence would not be revoked.
McFadzean said the process of establishing the partnership with the airline “began pretty quickly” as initial discussions began back in February.
Now, running from December until April, the airline’s first route from London will be a direct flight to Tuscon, Ariz.
“We’re delighted to add an additional airport to our upcoming Tucson Winter Base, and we’re very excited to add London to our network,” said Stephen Jones, chief executive of Flair Airlines.
“We’ve seen the demand for non-stop sun this winter and we are pleased to offer an affordable option to London and the surrounding area.”
But according to McFadzean, Forest City residents will soon be able to visit different destinations aside from the sunny state.
“We’re looking for additional destinations for this winter and then into 2023 and beyond,” McFadzean said.
He said that Flair adds 10 aircraft per year and with that, the London International Airport is “excited for what the future holds.”
Cheryl Finn, general manager at Tourism London, expressed her excitement with the new partnership, saying that it’s a great step in ramping up the tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has taken a major toll on our tourism industry and there is pent-up demand to travel again,” Finn said.
“Londoners can certainly take advantage of this convenient service, but we will also be working to attract visitations ‘the other way’ so that we can host our American friends to come here and explore everything London has to offer.”
“It’s really difficult to get new airlines to serve in airports,” McFadzean said. “So, this is a huge opportunity for London, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Flair to our airport.”