Budget airline will not return to Fredericton this summer
Calgary-based Lynx Air's financial troubles bring end to cheap Toronto, Calgary flights out of N.B. capital
Last June, Lynx Air flew out of the Fredericton International Airport for the first time, promising seasonal low-cost flights four times a week to Toronto and Calgary.
Now the Calgary-based airline, which began operations in 2022, has announced it will be shutting them all down on Monday.
In an email to CBC News, a Lynx a spokesperson attributed the closure to "growing financial pressures."
The airline, which has obtained an order for creditor protection, is now working with customers to find alternative flights.
Kate O'Rourke, manager of public relations and marketing for the Fredericton airport, said it was informed Thursday that Lynx would not be returning to the New Brunswick capital.
But in the airline's brief time at the airport, customers were pleased with the service, she said.
"It's disappointing news for sure. Lynx was a great addition to Fredericton, and that service to Calgary was one that had a lot of demand for it."
O'Rourke said the airport is exploring alternative options for expanding service in Fredericton.
The budget airline advertised flights from Fredericton to Toronto starting at $79 and from Fredericton to Calgary for $199.
Monette Pasher, the president of the Canadian Airports Council, said that from the onset Lynx's business model was risky.
"They're a disrupter airline, and that's the role that they were playing in this market, they're ultra-low cost, and that does tend to come with higher risks and lower margins."
Pasher said while low-cost carriers are an important part of the market, they can be risky in Canada.
"We have more than one low-cost carrier in our market right now, but we're not Europe, we're not populated the same way with really dense cities, so I think it can be more challenging."
She said the past few years have seen rising fuel costs in addition to a very competitive marketplace, which has has put a lot of pressure on airlines.
Both Pasher and O'Rourke said that from an airport's perspective, working with Lynx was a positive experience.
Overall, O'Rourke said, Lynx represented a small percentage of the Fredericton airport's traffic. With Porter Airlines adding an additional flight from Fredericton this summer, she hopes consumers will not be greatly affected by Lynx's departure.
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