Air Canada, WestJet change flights in Regina
Direct flight to Ottawa gone, but seasonal one to Phoenix added
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Reported By
Samantha Maciag
Posted August 11, 2010 - 5:00pm
Air Canada will no longer offer the direct flight between Regina and Ottawa, while WestJet will soon a season direct flight to Phoenix.
Regina Airport Authority's Jim Hunter says ridership was not the issue for Air Canada, which is is planning to turn Toronto's Pearson Airport into a world-class hub and needs to feed as much traffic through there as possible.
The direct flight to Ottawa has been operating since May 16. While that flight is gone, Hunter said Air Canada is adding another.
"They're going to give us an extra flight to Toronto daily," he said, adding that the intention is to reinstate the Ottawa-Regina flight sometime next summer.
Hunter says eliminating the direct to flight to Ottawa will add, on average, up to two hours of travel time for those travellers.
Meanwhile, WestJet announced the launch of a new non-stop seasonal flight between Regina and Phoenix.
Hunter approached West Jet with the idea after many customer requests.
"They're taking a bit of a chance on it, but we're delighted that they are," he said.
That flight will run from Dec. 18 to April 30.