First direct WestJet flight to Minneapolis leaves Saskatoon

WestJet is celebrating the launch of its new, direct route between Saskatoon and Minneapolis.

The first flight on the new, nonstop route departed at 7:10 a.m. Monday, and the airline said the route will help stimulate business and tourism on both side of the border.

(L-R) Saskatoon airport’s CJ Dushinski, WestJet’s Andy Gibbons, Minister Jeremy Harrison and Mayor Charlie Clark during Thursday’s announcement of non-stop flights to Minneapolis. (Steve Seto/650 CKOM)

“We are thrilled to celebrate the departure of our inaugural flight between Saskatoon and Minneapolis today, bolstering our title as Saskatchewan’s leading airline and signifying our expanded commitment to the province,” Jared Mikoch-Gerke, WestJet’s director of government relations and regulatory affairs said in a statement.

WestJet said the departure of Monday’s flight marks the first of three weekly flights that will connect the two cities during the summer months. The flights out of Saskatoon depart at 7:10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the flights back from Minneapolis depart at 12:45 p.m. on the same days.

From Minneapolis, WestJet said its customers will have access at one of the major hubs for Delta Air Lines, and a partnership between the two airlines means customers can make connections to “a vast network of U.S. destinations, including Boston, Miami, New York, Washington D.C. and more, on a single purchased ticket with check-in for all flights at the first departure.”

Stephen Maybury, CEO of the Saskatoon Airport Authority, said the airport is “thrilled” to welcome the new route.

“As we recover from the pandemic, we continue to work closely with our partners on new service and routes which drive economic benefit to our community, connecting leisure travel and business to Saskatchewan,” Maybury said in a statement.