New airline books its inaugural flight from Pearson Airport in Mississauga
Published July 22, 2022 at 2:06 pm
Startup carrier Canada Jetlines, which plans to fly travellers from Pearson Airport in Mississauga to a host of popular vacation destinations, will make its inaugural flight from the country’s largest airport on Aug. 15.
While the Vancouver-based airline’s first flight is to Winnipeg–hardly a popular vacation destination–it also plans to offer service to various U.S. locations, the Caribbean and Mexico in addition to Canadian cities.
“The entire team at Canada Jetlines is excited to offer passengers a convenient route from Toronto to the beautiful city of Winnipeg starting on our inaugural day of Aug. 15,” said company CEO Eddy Doyle.
The airline announced in April that Pearson will serve as its primary travel hub. A month earlier, it reported that it had cleared another hurdle in getting off the ground this year.
Canada Jetlines initially formed in 2013, but it’s had trouble getting planes into the air. However, the company is confident everything is now in place for a successful summer 2022 launch and operations beyond.
Utilizing a growing fleet of Airbus320 aircraft, the new carrier plans to offer travelers a choice of favourite destinations throughout the U.S., Caribbean, Mexico and within Canada.
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Doyle said earlier this year that the airline’s partnership with Pearson Airport “…will allow us to better service both domestic and international travelers to and from Canada’s busiest airport.”
He added the company also aims to strengthen the aviation industry in Mississauga, the GTA and beyond by “increasing job opportunities and economic growth in the region.”
Janik Reigate, director of strategic customer relationships for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which runs Pearson, said earlier that aviation activity at Pearson drives regional, provincial and national economic growth.
“And as we look to a brighter future as travel restrictions continue to ease, new partnerships such as this one will be vital to driving Canada’s post-pandemic recovery,” Reigate added.
Canada Jetlines officials said earlier that the timing couldn’t be better as the ultra-low-cost carrier will be getting off the ground in time to meet a pent-up demand from people looking to get away on holiday as COVID-19 restrictions continue to be eased or eliminated.
However, it’s also starting up service at a time when Pearson and other airports across Canada and the U.S. are facing huge challenges in moving travellers through their facilities in timely fashion.
Pearson, in particular, has been plagued in recent months with staffing and other issues that have led to cancelled and delayed flights, lost luggage, huge lineups or waits on planes, and other challenges.
Canada Jetlines’ chief commercial officer, Duncan Bureau, told PAX magazine earlier this year that the time is right to make a successful go of it.
“I don’t think there’s been a better time in the last 20 years to start an airline, and the reason for that is obviously there’s a tremendous amount of pent-up demand and so we know that Canadians are very eager to travel,” he said.
Canada Jetlines will be offering special fares for a limited time on flights from Pearson to Moncton and Winnipeg.
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