Calgary-based Lynx Air announces eastern expansion to Fredericton
Lynx Air will be touching down in Fredericton for the first time June 12, just in time for an expected surge in summer travel.
“We know that there are strong connections between the communities of New Brunswick, Ontario and Alberta and we are proud to offer ultra-affordable links to connect them,” said the Calgary-based airliner’s CEO, Merren McArthur. “Our strategy is to fly to destinations where airfare is high, and low-cost options are limited, and Fredericton and New Brunswick are a perfect example of this.”
Lynx joins fellow budget airliner, Porter; national flag-carrier, Air Canada; and Sunwing, which offers New Brunswickers direct flights to warm winter destinations, at the recently-renovated Fredericton gates.
The airline, which expanded its fleet from six to nine in anticipation of its eastern expansion, offered travelers a 50% discount on all flight sales between March 13 and March 14. One-way tickets were sold for as low as $79 to Toronto and $199 to Calgary.
The airline is scheduled to operate out of Fredericton three times a week, operating as a ‘through flight’ to Calgary via Pearson International Airport in Toronto, and Fredericton flyers are excited at the prospects the new competition will bring to Atlantic Canada’s skies.
“Going to Toronto for that price seems like a good deal, and I haven’t been out west too much, but if I were to go that seems like a feasible option,” said Paul Mozicka, who says he flies out of the Fredericton airport once every few years.
Both Mozicka, and frequent flier Nina Colonval, say that cost comes above all else when booking flights.
“The destination that it goes to?” responded Colonval, when asked if there are any factors she considers apart from the price of the ticket. Mozicka added that direct flights and, if necessary, short layovers were a plus.
The Lynx Air expansion comes at a time when airlines are just beginning to get their feet back under them after the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Air Canada canceled more than 150 routes last summer, while WestJet pulled out of Atlantic Canada entirely.
By expanding to Atlantic Canada, Lynx is aiming to fill a void in the market – a market in dire need of low-cost options, and prior to Lynx’s new route, one without any links further west than Toronto.
“Our region has close ties to Alberta, Calgary and beyond, and this new flight is one our travelers have been asking for,” said Fredericton International Airport Authority President and CEO Johanne Gallant.
It is yet to be seen if Lynx’s foray into Fredericton will take off, but there’s no doubt the market exists.
Now, it’s all up to execution.
