Achi news desk-
After taking off from Fredericton International Airport in late 2022, WestJet has finally landed back in New Brunswick’s capital.
The airline announced Wednesday that it will return to the terminal, offering flights every other week on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Calgary from June 20 to October 28.
“This is the missing piece for this region, is that direct connection to western Canada,” said WestJet vice president of external affairs, Andy Gibbons. “Whether it’s for the convention business here, the tourism industry, this is something they really wanted.”
“WestJet is the second mainline carrier in Canada, and the largest leisure carrier in Canada so it’s very important to have them back,” said airport president and CEO Johanne Gallant. “We feel very optimistic that there is a strong market for people who want to go to Alberta, and people from Alberta coming back here.”
The service fills a void for passengers in Fredericton left by Lynx Air, which offered a similar flight for a few months, before the company ceased operations.
Fredericton is the sixth city in Atlantic Canada from which WestJet will offer direct flights to Calgary, a record for the company in the region. Other cities with direct flights include Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton, St. John’s and Deer Lake.
Tickets for the new flights are already available for purchase, and if demand for the service exists officials say it could become a year-round option for passengers.
Gallant says it could also lead to even more services coming to the airport.
“There is a growing demand and we see people traveling more following the pandemic,” Gallant points out. “I think people are also looking for variety like going out west, to sun resorts, or just somewhere else in Canada. We’re seeing more people wanting to fly and the airlines are responding to that.”
She says any additional services that can come to the airport are a win for the whole community, with more travel meaning large numbers of tourists.
Travelers are also hopeful that the latest announcement is a sign of more to come for Fredericton Airport.
“It’s great, the more accessibility the better,” said Larry Wain and Louise Dickinson before they flew south. “We need more flights coming in here and going out to other places.”
“Well it’s certainly something that’s needed around here,” said passenger Gary Ross. “And that will definitely help people out to go to work and go back home to see their families or go out somewhere nice and see everything in the world.”
Ethan McClellan was on his way back to Calgary after visiting family and friends in the provincial capital. He says that flights like this would make travel easier and save money from having to connect through other airports.
“The overnight wait times can be annoying,” admits McClellan. “Especially when flights are delayed and your layover may go from two hours to four hours. Or alternatively, when your flight from Calgary might be delayed and you can barely make your connection to Fredericton. That happened to me on my way here and it was a bit stressful.”
The company is looking at alternative route options not only for Fredericton, but other airports in the Maritimes as it seeks to improve its east-west connectivity under its current strategy.
“We’re in growth mode in Atlantic Canada,” Gibbons said. “And we’re committed to growing.”
