Flair Airlines lands in Saskatoon

A new airline is now flying over Saskatoon skies.

Flair Airlines, the discount airline headquartered in Edmonton, landed at Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport for the first time on Thursday.

Welcomed with the traditional water cannon salute, the Flair plane made a brief stop before carrying on to Toronto, one of two weekly flights from Saskatoon offered on Thursdays and Sundays. Vancouver is the other destination from Saskatoon.

“We are very excited to welcome Flair Airlines to Saskatoon,” Saskatoon Airport Authority president and CEO Stephen Maybury said in a news release. “Enhancing our air service options by providing a low-cost carrier option, especially in such a difficult industry environment, provides additional opportunities to get our guests where they need to go.”

Maybury watched the first flight land from the roof of the airport. He hopes a nearly full flight is a sign of a positive relationship moving forward.

“We’re all about air service connectivity and access to the community, and Flair is going to provide another air service option with a unique, low-fare product,” Maybury said.

“Certainly time will tell … It’s a good sign that it’s the first flight and it’s relatively full.”

The first Flair Airlines plane to land in Saskatoon sits at its gate shortly after arriving on Aug. 27, 2020. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)

Flair Airlines CEO Jim Scott joined in celebrating the airline’s expansion into Saskatchewan.

“We continuously receive requests from our passengers to service these communities,” he said in a news release.

“Many of these areas are experiencing reduced accessibility, and we know that Canadians need affordable airfares now more than ever. We are committed to supporting these communities across the country as they safely reopen to travel.”

Flair Airlines started operating in 2005. As of Thursday, the airline operates in 15 different locations across Canada.

Thursday’s announcement is part of encouraging signs for the Saskatoon Airport Authority as more people begin flying after COVID-19 brought the aviation industry to a near-standstill.

Passengers flying on Flair Airlines’ first departure from Saskatoon were greeted with extra pomp and ceremony before checking in on Aug. 27, 2020. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)

Maybury said the lowest point of the pandemic saw roughly five per cent of the passengers moving through the airport after COVID-19’s arrival in the province compared to data compiled in 2019.

“We’re now in a rebound scenario, so we’re seeing some market recovery,” he said.

According to Maybury, nearly 20 per cent of the usual passenger load is now flying out of Saskatoon.

Maybury isn’t expecting air traffic to reach 2019 levels for at least another two to three years.