‘We are here to stay,’ Flair Airlines CEO says after spring flight cuts
The CEO of Flair Airlines says the corporate is dedicated to “serving the needs of Canadian travellers” amid news that the corporate reduce tons of of flights in Canada this spring.
Data offered to CTV News by Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, confirms that there are about 600 fewer flights on the airline’s schedule in March, April, and May in comparison with the identical months in 2023, representing a discount of about eight per cent.
Flair CEO Stephen Jones mentioned the cuts, which had been first reported by The Globe and Mail, weren’t made in response to the closure of low-cost airline Lynx Air final month, including that the schedule for March, April, and May was printed again in August.
“There have been no significant adjustments to our flight schedule,” Jones mentioned in a press release launched Friday. “Flair has not made any reductions to its schedule following the closure of Lynx Air.”
He went on to say that the Edmonton-based airline flies the place “customers want to travel,” indicating that there was a “resurgence in demand” for warm-weather locations corresponding to Mexico, Florida, and the Caribbean.
“Compared to last year, when we flew a predominantly domestic network, Flair Airlines has significantly increased its presence in these markets and opened over 20 new winter sun routes,” the assertion continued.
While the general variety of flights is down, he recommended that capability is definitely up.
“Overall capacity, as measured by the industry-standard metric Available Seat Miles (ASM), is up by four per cent compared to the same March to May period last year,” Jones mentioned.
“Over 70% of ASMs this past winter season were deployed to warm-weather destinations. These routes are typically longer than domestic routes, so we are operating further but slightly fewer flights.”
He mentioned the “focus on winter sun markets” has been “tremendously popular” with Flair prospects and excessive demand is anticipated within the upcoming months.
The CEO additionally dismissed any suggestion that the flight reductions had been a results of the corporate’s monetary struggles.
Earlier this yr, court docket paperwork obtained by The Canadian Press revealed that Flair Airlines owes about $67.2 million in unpaid taxes.
At that point, Jones mentioned the corporate had reached a take care of the Canada Revenue Agency to pay the taxes.
In his assertion Friday, Jones mentioned the skepticism surrounding Ultra-Low-Cost Carriers (ULCCs) in Canada is “misplaced.”
“I want to assure all Canadians that Flair Airlines is steadfast in our confidence that the ULCC model has potential to thrive in Canada. We are here to stay, resilient and determined to continue serving the needs of Canadian travellers,” Jones added.
“With the closure of Lynx Air, the significance of Flair Airlines in the market has become even more pronounced. We embrace and recognize the responsibility that comes with being the only ULCC in Canada and remain committed to providing Canadians with affordable airfare.”
With recordsdata from The Canadian Press
