Flair Airlines announced Thursday that it will be offering daily flight services between Saskatoon and Calgary beginning May 9, 2023.
This addition was created to fill the void that Air Canada left when it announced earlier this week that it will be suspending all flights from Saskatoon and Regina to Calgary, effective January 2023, to focus on its main hubs of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
CJ Dushinski, Vice President Business Development for Skyxe at Saskatoon Airport said that Air Canada’s announcement came as a surprise.
“We were hoping that when the announcement was made that Air Canada was going to be leaving the Calgary market from Saskatoon, that somebody would step in. I don’t think we expected it to happen so quickly,” said Dushinski.
“There are a lot of people from Saskatoon and the surrounding area that choose to drive that long seven-hour drive instead of fly, just because the price point to fly is quite high.”
Saskatchewan residents will be able to choose a more affordable option with Flair Airlines.
“Right now, you don’t really have much choice, between WestJet and Air Canada, to have a cheap flight,” said Spencer Bast, who returned from Calgary on Friday, “it’s not a bad idea.”
Flair will grant travelers a chance to fly at a lower cost, saying one-way fares will start at $49.
“That’s certainly cheaper than a tank of gas these days,” said Flair Airline’s Vice President of Network Planning Eric Tanner. “It’s that kind of math that starts to add up pretty quickly.
“I would venture to say that flying on Flair between the two cities is cheaper than driving.”