Flair Airlines announced two new sunny destinations will be offered directly from London International Airport later this year and next year.
The airline and airport unveiled direct flights between London and Cancun, Mexico, will be available twice a week beginning Nov. 29. Twice weekly flights to Orlando, Fla., will be available starting Jan. 22, 2024.
“It’s always exciting to get new non-stop destinations,” said Scott McFadzean, CEO of London International Airport. “Adding this winter Cancun and Orlando is a big deal for London and the surrounding area.”
McFadzean says with Swoop ending operations later this year and Sunwing set to be absorbed into WestJet, it is crucial that other airlines invest in London.
“We hope that the more people that use the service, the more demand they see from this market, the more they are going to want to put into London,” McFadzean said.
Flair Airlines CEO Stephen Jones said Tuesday the company generally only invests multiple flights a week into markets where they know there is a demand from the area. With multiple weekly flights to Cancun and Orlando, McFadzean says it is great that the company sees the London area’s value.
“I think they recognize London is the fastest growing city in Ontario … and that there’s a tremendously large population they think are underserved in terms of aircraft and flight options.”
When it came to selecting the destination options, McFadzean says the airport and Flair have regular discussions for locations that would work best.
“Both Orlando and Cancun have been best sellers from London for a long time,” added McFadzean.
Nearby, Flair announced Waterloo International Airport will have twice weekly flights to Las Vegas beginning in October. Those flights will increase to four times a week later in the winter season.
The new direct flights from London to sunny getaways from Flair are the third announced by the airport in the last two weeks. Last month, the airport unveiled its direct flight options through Air Transat and Sunwing for the 2023-24 winter season down.
Air Transat will offer weekly flights to Cancun on Saturdays beginning Nov. 4. Flights will become twice weekly – Thursday and Saturdays – beginning Dec. 21 through to April 27. Air Transat will also have direct flights weekly to Punta Cana starting Nov. 5 and twice weekly – Friday and Sunday – beginning Dec. 22 through to April 28.
Sunwing will have four weekly destination offerings beginning mid-December. Tuesday flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, will run from Dec. 12 to April 9, and Wednesday flights to Cayo Coco, Cuba, begin Dec. 13 and run until April 10. Two Thursday flights – to Cancun and Varadero, Mexico – will be available through Sunwing between Dec. 14 and April 4.