CALGARY — Lynx Air is making its inaugural flight today, the latest entrant into Canada's increasingly crowded budget airline market.
The ultra-low-cost carrier's Boeing 737 Max jetliner was set to take off from Calgary on Thursday and land in Vancouver later in the morning.
Chief executive Merren McArthur says Calgary-based Lynx, formerly known as Enerjet, aims to operate nearly 90 flights a week on nine routes by June and close to double the number of trips by August, all within Canada.
Several ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) have been beefing up since the summer in preparation for a clash with Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd. – and with each other – particularly for domestic flights and sun destinations.
Flair Airlines was down to one aircraft a year ago, but expects to have 20 737s in its fleet by the end of June as the Edmonton-based airline adds routes from Victoria, B.C., to St. John’s, N.L.
Meanwhile, WestJet budget subsidiary Swoop continues to expand, unveiling nine new routes out of Edmonton in November.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2022.
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The Canadian Press
