Flair Airlines is expanding into the U.S., with non-stop flights set to take off this fall from several Canadian airports, including Vancouver International Airport.
As part of its ambitious five-year expansion plan, the low-cost carrier announced Thursday that it’s adding service from eight Canadian airports to six new U.S vacation destinations starting Oct. 31.
Four of the six new routes will operate out of YVR: Las Vegas, Phoenix-Mesa, Hollywood-Burbank and Palm Springs.
The two other new destinations are Fort Lauderdale and Orlando-Sanford, which will operate out of other Canadian airports.
The new routes will allow for more travel options as pandemic restrictions continue to ease and passenger traffic increases, said Russell Atkinson, YVR’s director of air service development – strategy.
Fares to the new U.S. destinations will start between $79 and $109 one-way.
“We want Canadians to hear us loud and clear, you don’t have to rack up debt or save for months to enjoy travel this winter,” said Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Flair Airlines.
“For years, Canadians have been over-paying for air travel to domestic and U.S. destinations…The fares to our new destinations ensure Canadians can easily enjoy travel this winter and spend some much-deserved time away exploring sunny new places.”
Halifax, Montreal, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa and Abbotsford will also offer flights to the new destinations.
Flights will be offered between Oct. 31, 2021 and March 26, 2022.
Currently, Edmonton-based Flair Airlines operates in 20 Canadian cities.
Despite a near-collapse in travel demand in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the privately-held airline has been in aggressive expansion mode this year. The airline has added eight planes in this fleet, up from just three in May.
Flair’s chief executive Stephen Jones said the carrier is set to acquire three new Boeing 737 Max 8 jets this fall and wants to grow to 50 aircraft within the next five years.
–With files from the Canadian Press
