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News / Canadian startup Lynx Air operates its inaugural flight
The carrier flew a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for its first official flight on April 7th
Canada's latest budget carrier Lynx Air took to the skies for the first time on April 7, operating its inaugural flight between Calgary and Vancouver. Formerly known as Enerjet, Lynx Air upgraded to Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft to enter Canada's low-cost market, which is becoming increasingly crowded.
Merren McArthur, CEO of Lynx, commented, “We are super excited to be finally taking to the skies today… Lynx is on a mission to make air travel accessible to all Canadians, with a transparent, à la carte pricing model which empowers passengers to pick and pay for the services they want, so they can save money on the trip and spend where it counts – at their destination. Air fares have been too high for too long in Canada, and we aim to change that.”
The airline is looking for a swift expansion during the summer season, with a long-term goal of becoming a leading carrier in the highly competitive low-cost segment in Canada.
Confident amid competition
Unlike other first-time budget carriers, Lynx has taken a slightly different approach. It will fly on popular routes in direct competition with three to five carriers on each route, including Flair on every route.
Apart from the network announced initially, the carrier shared plans of major expansion from the Toronto region in March, adding four new destinations and five new routes to its network. By this summer, Lynx plans to operate 148 flights per week coast to coast across Canada, which equates to more than 27,000 seats per week.
One-way fares for flights start from $39, and to celebrate the inaugural route, the Calgary-based carrier announced a sale of up to 70% on all routes starting April 7 through to 23:59 MT on April 10.
In a phone interview with The Canada Press, CEO McArthur commented, "The competition is growing and the demand is growing as well. I think there is a lot of pent-up demand as Canada is opening up, and we’re seeing that in the bookings."
According to Lynx's website, it has busy months lined up ahead as per the following schedule:
| Round Trip Market | Service Starts | Weekly Frequencies |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary, AB to Vancouver, BC | April 7, 2022 | 7x 14x (from May 20) |
| Calgary, AB to Toronto, ON | April 11, 2022 | 4x 7x (from April 18) 12 x (from June 28) |
| Vancouver, BC to Kelowna, BC | April 15, 2022 | 2x |
| Calgary, AB to Kelowna, BC | April 15, 2022 | 2x 3x (from June 22) |
| Calgary, AB to Winnipeg, MB | April 19, 2022 | 2x 4x (from May 5) |
| Vancouver, BC to Winnipeg, MB | April 19, 2022 | 2x |
| Vancouver, BC to Toronto, ON | April 28, 2022 | 7x |
| Toronto, ON to Winnipeg, MB | May 5, 2022 | 2x |
| Calgary, AB to Victoria, BC | May 12, 2022 | 2x 3x (from June 22) |
| Toronto, ON to St. John's, NL | June 28, 2022 | 2x 7x (from July 29) |
| Calgary, AB to Hamilton, ON | June 29, 2022 | 2x 4x (from July 29) |
| Toronto, ON to Halifax, NS | June 30, 2022 | 3x 5x (from July 30) |
| Hamilton, ON to Halifax, NS | June 30, 2022 | 2x |
| Edmonton, AB to Toronto, ON | July 28, 2022 | 7x |
Fleet
Lynx currently operates a fleet of three new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and is expected to ramp up quickly over the coming weeks. The carrier will induct two more aircraft into its fleet in the coming months to further expand its network in the lead-up to summer, including flights to and from Hamilton, Halifax, and St. John's at the end of June and Edmonton at the end of July.
Last year, McArthur said Lynx had firm orders and lease agreements in place for 46 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft over the next seven years to meet anticipated demand.
