KITCHENER -- The Region of Waterloo International Airport is hoping a new partnership with an airline will help provide frequent, affordable trips across the country once travel restrictions are lifted.

In a Tuesday news release, the region announced that the arrangement with Flair Airlines will provide non-stop service to Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Halifax multiple times a week.

They anticipate the start of the service to begin on May 1, but this is all dependent on whether or not non-essential travel will be allowed by then.

“Once pandemic restrictions are lifted, the addition of Flair’s services will provide further connectivity to other economic hubs, create local jobs, build partnerships and help support the recovery of the local economy,” said regional chair Karen Redman in the news release.

In the news release, the region says they are hoping to improve business access to the area, enhance tourism, expand connectivity to large cities, and create potential aviation-related program development with post-secondary institutions.

Flair Airlines is currently Canada's only independent ultra-low cost carrier.

In September, a deal was announced between the Region of Waterloo International Airport and Pivot Airlines to provide domestic flights to Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

"We're looking forward to establishing a base there, putting aircraft overnight there, doing maintenance there," Flair CEO Stephen Jones said. "It's going to be an important port for us."

"We will be there for as long as the demand is there."

Flair, which launched in 2017 and is headquartered in Edmonton, is expanding at a time when many airlines are struggling. Jones said they're preparing for when people want to go places again when non-essential travel restrictions lift.

"I think there's a lot of pent-up demand and, when restrictions are relaxed and it's appropriate to be flying again, people are really going to want to fly," he said.

Robert Kokonis, president and managing director of Airtrav Inc., said Flair might be in the right place in the right time.

"I think because there hasn't been before a truly pure pay, ultra-low-cost carrier and, with the proper funding in place and the proper fleet, and again back to right place, right time, I think Flair has got a pretty decent chance of making it stick," he said.

Flights are expected to start at $39 for a one-way ticket.

With reporting by CTV News Kitchener's Krista Simpson