Flair Airlines is planning to increase its flight frequency out of Vancouver and Abbotsford airports with fewer flights to U.S. destinations because "demand for U.S. sun-trips [is] cooling down," the airline said Thursday.
Flair, which is operationally based in Edmonton but has several vice-presidents based at a downtown Vancouver office, also announced that it plans to newly operate flights between Kelowna International Airport (YLW) and Calgary International Airport (YYC) year-round. Previously, it had only offered those flights on what Flair spokeswoman Kim Bowie told BIV was a "very short" seasonal basis.
She said previously announced flight-frequency increases this summer out of both Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Abbotsford International Airport (YXX) are still on track.
The news today, however, is Flair's plans for the fall and winter season, or between Oct. 26 and April 14.
Overall, its frequency out of YVR is set to rise 13 per cent to 102 per week in that timeframe, whereas its increase out of YXX is set to jump 38 per cent per week to 39.
The Flair routes set to get the biggest bumps out of YVR in October include:
- YVR - Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) rising 82 per cent to 20 per week from 11 per week currently;
- YVR - YYC rising 40 per cent to 21 per week from 15 currently;
- YVR - Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG) rising 40 per cent to seven per week from five currently.
The airline also plans in October to up its weekly flights between YVR and Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) by one-third, to four times per week from three times currently.
Its YXX route getting a huge frequency bump in October is the one to Edmonton International Airport (YEG). That route's frequency is set to rise about 91 per cent to 20 times per week, up from 11 currently.
Flair also plans flight-frequency increases this summer
Flair in December released its planned flight-frequency increases out of YVR this summer.
Its plan, it said at the time, was to increase its peak YVR-YCC flight frequency by 57 per cent, to 33 times per week, and its peak YVR-YEG flight frequency by 50 per cent, to 24 times per week.
Flair also said in December that it planned to increase its flights out of YXX this summer.
Those increases include upping its peak YXX-YEG flight frequency by 56 per cent, to 25 times per week, and escalating its peak YXX-YYC frequency by 50 per cent, to 21 times per week.
“The interconnectivity between Alberta and British Columbia is only getting stronger and more economically essential,” Flair's vice-president of network planning and revenue management, Eric Tanner, said at the time.
Flair today sent BIV an update on its planned flight-frequency increases out of YVR in July.
They include increasing flights between:
- YVR-YYZ by 73 per cent, to 24;
- YVR-YYC by 58 per cent, to 33;
- YVR-YEG by 55 per cent, to 24; and
- YVR-GDL by 100 per cent, to four.
Its planned flight frequency out of YXX in July includes upping:
- YXX-YEG by 55 per cent, to 25; and
- YXX-YYC by 50 per cent, to 21.
