WestJet makes Saskatoon-to-Minneapolis route official

After bookings were made available earlier in the week, WestJet officially announced the return of non-stop flights from Saskatoon to Minneapolis on Friday.

The direct route will return on June 19, and will fly out of Saskatoon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 a.m.

“There is such great energy here in Saskatoon right now — a growing economy, a growing population, and great ambition for the future,” said Andy Gibbons, WestJet’s vice-president of external affairs.

He said the route could help attract more people to the province, as well as give travellers easier access to other U.S. and international destinations. Gibbons also said the airline will be increasing traffic between Saskatoon and Calgary.

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said the route doesn’t just open the door for Saskatoon residents, but also allows more options for tourists to explore the rest of the province.

“We are a place that serves the whole region and the whole north,” Clark said, “and so as the news of the Minneapolis flight comes back on, that does create a big opportunity and hopefully a chance for more of those business flights come on.”

The mayor said he’s been working closely with the airport authority, discussing where the biggest needs are for tourists and what services they need in order to access the northern part of the province.

Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan’s trade and export development minister, said the government had heard the demand to have direct flights to a major U.S. hub over and over again from the business community.

“We knew that was a vitally significant factor in future economic growth here in the province, which is why we’ve been working very hard on this,” Harrison said.

The Saskatoon-to-Minneapolis route used to be available, but was scrapped in 2020. Gibbons provided some reassurance that WestJet’s goal is to keep the flight running on a long-term basis.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure our flights are full,” he said.

“We’re not planning for failure; we’re planning to succeed, and we’re planning on this being a great route for our organization but also the people who live here.”

The air travel industry still has some hurdles to clear, particularly after the holiday season saw many delayed and cancelled flights, but there is some hope on the horizon that the industry can rebound in a big way.

CJ Dushinski, vice-president of business development and service quality for the Saskatoon Airport, said things still haven’t completely returned to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re still working on the road to recovery,” she said. “We’re not fully recovered from the pandemic yet, so we really need to work on making this route successful.”

Harrison also said the provincial government is also working closely with the Regina airport, and has been getting feedback from the city’s business community about what their needs are.

“We have nothing to announce yet, but I can tell you that equivalent resources that are on the table for this particular endeavour here in Saskatoon are on the table from the provincial government’s perspective for Regina as well,” the minister said.

The provincial government will provide up to $2.2 million to help make sure the new route continues, Harrison said.