A new Canadian airline is pledging to let its passengers traverse the country for as little as $89 per flight.
NewLeaf revealed its initial fare structure and route map Wednesday morning.
For southern Ontario residents, the biggest news is its use of Hamilton International Airport as a hub.
The new carrier will offer flights between Hamilton and Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon and Kelowna, B.C.
Flights will start running in February, company officials said.
NewLeaf's advertised fees include only the seat and taxes -- not priority boarding, seat selection, food or other in-flight amenities.
Company officials say they prefer to fly out of smaller, under-utilized airports.
“We’re going to be very excited about looking at opportunities in all those underserved locations,” Dean Dacko, NewLeaf’s chief commercial officer, told CTV News.
The airline’s initial roster leaves out the Region of Waterloo International Airport outside Kitchener.
Airport general manager Chris Wood said in an interview that he had spoken to NewLeaf about setting up shop locally, and plans to continue talks in the future.
According to Dacko, 5.2 million Canadians head to the United States to fly each year, mainly in border-adjacent cities like Buffalo.
It’s his hope that cheaper service from NewLeaf will help lower that number.
One industry analyst says the new airline and the lower Canadian dollar could even entice American travellers living near the border to fly out of Canada instead.
“If the Canadian dollar still is somewhat lower, maybe we could get a reverse flow of people from … states close to the Canadian border,” said Robert Kokonis of airline sector consulting form AirTrav.
Kokonis said that he expects WestJet and Air Canada to lower some of their fares in response to NewLeaf’s arrival, particularly in markets where they will be competing directly.
As for why the new carrier would pick Hamilton over Waterloo Region, Kokonis cited a number of factors, including its proximity to heavily populated areas like Niagara Region and parts of the Greater Toronto Area, as well as its long runways and room for expansion.
