The CEO of Flair Airlines has stated that the company is committed to “serving the needs of Canadian travellers” amid news that the carrier cut hundreds of flights in Canada this spring.
Data made available to CTV News by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that there are around 600 fewer flights on Flair Airline’s schedule in March, April, and May compared to the same months in 2023. This represents a cut of about eight per cent.
According to Flair CEO Stephen Jones, the cuts, which were first reported by The Globe and Mail, were not effected in response to the closure of low-cost airline Lynx Air in February. He added that the schedule for March, April, and May was published back in August.
In a recent statement released, Jones said: “There have been no significant adjustments to our flight schedule. Flair has not made any reductions to its schedule following the closure of Lynx Air.”
He added that the Edmonton-based airline flies where “customer want to travel,” indicating that there has been a “resurgence in demand” for warm-weather destinations like Mexico, Florida, and the Caribbean.
The statement read: “Compared to last year when we flew a predominantly domestic network, Flair Airlines has significantly increased its presence in these markets and opened over 20 new winter sun routes.”
Though the total number of flights is down, Jones suggested that capacity is actually up.
He said: “Overall capacity, as measured by the industry-standard metric Available Seat Miles (ASM), is up by four per cent compared to the same March to May period last year.
“Over 70% of ASMs this past winter season were deployed to warm-weather destinations. These routes are typically longer than domestic routes, so we are operating further but slightly fewer flights.”
According to him, the “focus on winter sun markets” has been “tremendously popular” with Flair customers and high demand is expected in the upcoming months.
He also dismissed any suggestion that the flight reductions happened because of the company’s financial struggles.
Earlier this year, court documents showed that Flair Airlines owes about $67.2 million in unpaid taxes.
Jones stated at that time that the company had reached a deal with the Canada Revenue Agency to pay the taxes.
In his recent statement, he said the scepticism surrounding Ultra-Low-Cost Carriers (ULCCs) in Canada is “misplaced.”
He added: “I want to assure all Canadians that Flair Airlines is steadfast in our confidence that the ULCC model has potential to thrive in Canada. We are here to stay, resilient and determined to continue serving the needs of Canadian travelers.
“With the closure of Lynx Air, the significance of Flair Airlines in the market has become even more pronounced. We embrace and recognize the responsibility that comes with being the only ULCC in Canada and remain committed to providing Canadians with affordable airfare.”
