Canada’s newest airline plans to begin flying in the summer, joining a resurgent industry hoping to tap pent-up demand for travel more than two years into the pandemic.
The carrier recently took delivery of its first plane, a 12-year-old Airbus A320 that seats 174. The aircraft, which flew for Pegasus Airlines of Turkey, is being stored in Kitchener, Ont., before it moves to its new base in Toronto. Publicly traded Canada Jetlines was spun off last year by Miami-based holiday carrier Global Crossing Airlines Group Inc., which retained a 17-per-cent stake. The airline is awaiting approval from the federal government.
However, the domestic industry is much changed by the pandemic. Struggling Sunwing Airlines has agreed to be bought by WestJet Airlines, and Transat AT Inc. has been forced to carry on alone, after Air Canada dropped its takeover bid. “We’re very optimistic,” Mr. Bureau said. “We think travel starting this summer will be one of the highest travel periods in recent history. We’ve got people sitting at home who haven’t visited family and friends [for a long time]. That’s the traffic we’re going after.”
The airline no longer refers to itself as a low-cost carrier, although it says its tiny size and plan to run each plane as much as possible means its costs will remain low. “We’re starting with a clean balance sheet,” Mr. Doyle added.