Direct flights to and from Vancouver and Toronto will soon be landing at the Grande Prairie Airport. This, after Flair Airlines announced service to the Peace Country with non-stop service to two out-of-province cities starting in August.
Grande Prairie Airport CEO Brian Grant says they are excited to have been chosen for the new routes and believes the new carrier will have a big impact on the region.
“Certainly this new entrance in the marketplace is going to make it busier,” he adds.
With Flair airlines offering low airfares to fliers, Grant believes this announcement will make the marketplace more competitive.
“This certainly shows that we have a good market here…specifically ultra-low-cost airfares so it’s going to make the market more competitive and draw people from further in the region to take advantage of those.”
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant says he believes this announcement is the light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s definitely some good news after such a long period with everybody being so limited and restricted and it certainly hit airlines and airports because the travel restrictions have been very onerous.”
Grant believes this is just the beginning of what’s to come. He suggests they are looking into possible flights into the U.S, Mexico, and other sunshine destinations.
“Even if it’s a one-stop where you get on in Grande Prairie and you go to another airport location and connect there where there are customs and down, so you’re looking at a short one-stop service… that’s our aim now.”
The first direct flight from Grande Prairie to Vancouver is set for August 1st, with the first direct flight to Toronto taking off on August 4th.