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
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.