Planned growth at YKF this summer not possible after four planes repossessed: Flair
Flair Airlines says the seizure of four of its aircraft earlier this month means it won’t be able to increase the number of passengers travelling through Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) this spring and summer as planned.
The airline had predicted it would be able to grow its traffic through YKF by 30 per cent this spring and summer.
At a news conference on Friday, Chief Commercial Officer Garth Lund said overall spring/summer volume would be flat compared to last year, but up by 15 per cent by late summer.
“In the next couple months, there won’t necessarily be that growth coming through, but by the time we get to July, August, when people really want to travel, the growth will be there,” Lund said.
The airline also announced it’s suspending flights between Waterloo region and Edmonton, but preserving its other YKF routes, including plans to launch flights to Puerto Vallarta and Abbotsford later this year.
‘UNLIKELY’ FLAIR WILL GET SEIZED PLANES BACK
Earlier this month, four of Flair’s planes were seized after the airline allegedly fell behind on lease payments. The incident saw 12 flights across the county cancelled on the first day of March break.
Flair has launched a lawsuit against several plane-leasing companies over the incident.
On Friday, Flair CEO Stephen Jones says it’s “unlikely” Flair will be able to get those planes back.
“We would love to have them back, but lessors have made their own sort of decisions, you saw the nature of the activity that went on,” Jones said.
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
Pressed by journalists about reports of customers who have sworn off Flair after bad experiences with cancelled flights and delays, Jones said “everyone’s got to make their own choices,” but when he flies with Flair, he notices the planes are full.
“People are voting with their feet,” he said. “Our sales are strong.”
Jones also promised there was no danger of any other aircraft being repossessed, saying the company is “100 per cent up to date with all lease payments.”
ECONOMIC GROWTH AT YKF
Flair says its operations at YKF have created 188 aviation-related jobs and 226 tourism-related jobs in the region.
A report prepared on behalf of Flair by an aviation consultancy estimates the airline's contribution to the local gross domestic product at $36.3 million.
Jones said the Flair is committed to the Region of Waterloo for the long-term.
“We are the only airline in Kitchener-Waterloo of consequence,” he said.
“It’s an investment for us in that we’re having to work together with the region to develop the markets and I’m not going to say it’s an easy journey, but we are committed to it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Canada Post's newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature 'melt-in-your-mouth' desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.