It’s been a long journey, but North America’s newest airline took to the skies last week.
Canada Jetlines, or simply Jetlines, completed its inaugural flight on 22 September from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Calgary International Airport (YYC).
With mainly sunny skies in both Toronto and Calgary, AU120 departed YYZ thirty minutes behind schedule at 0825 ET Thursday morning. Three hours and 51 minutes later, the flight touched down at YYC at 1022 MT, just 12 minutes behind schedule.
Airline management and executives greeted the flight in Calgary with a celebration of the successful first flight.
The journey to today, however, has been anything but easy.
Nothing About the Original Plan is the Same
Canada Jetlines was first conceived in 2013 – a lifetime ago in the aviation world. Originally, the carrier was going to be based in Vancouver, British Columbia (YVR), and utilize Boeing 737-800s to fly to destinations throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
In the decade since, a series of setbacks have kept Jetlines grounded. Ahead of a planned Q4 2019 launch, the carrier decided to lease a pair of Airbus A320s and subsequently canceled plans to lease the Boeing 737s.
A launch date of 17 December 2019 came and went. Then, as the calendar turned to 2020 and the pandemic affected every aspect of aviation, plans for the inaugural flight were on hold indefinitely.
The Stars Aligned in 2022 for Canada Jetlines
As the pandemic waned and air travel began to rebound, things finally started to look up for Jetlines. The carrier received its first Airbus A320 (registration C-GCJL) in February 2022.
Jetlines announced it would begin operations on 15 August with an inaugural flight between Toronto Pearson and Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG) in Manitoba. Service to Greater Moncton (New Brunswick) Roméo LeBlanc International Airport (YQB) was also to begin on the same day.
However, the 15 August launch was postponed as the carrier still had not received approval to operate from the Canadian government. The launch was tentatively pushed back to 29 August. Finally, on 18 August, Jetlines received its Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from Transport Canada, followed by the issuance of airline licenses from the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to operate domestic, non-scheduled, and scheduled international flights.
The saga of Jetlines’ launch was not over yet, though. The airline once again pushed back the start date – this time to 22 September.
Finally, the stars aligned, finances were in place, and licenses were in hand. After nearly a decade, Jetlines took to the air.
What Fliers Can Expect On Board
Canada Jetlines will join an ever-growing list of Canadian budget airline start-ups that have launched in recent years, such as Lynx, Flair, Porter, Sunwing, and Swoop.
Jetlines’ A320 features an all-economy product with 180 seats in a 3-3 configuration. Jetlines has said it plans to have two aircraft by the end of 2022 and 15 aircraft by 2025.
The carrier has just two destinations right now: Toronto and Calgary. However, Jetlines officials say they will announce additional destinations soon. The airline currently offers twice-weekly flights on Thursdays and Sundays.
“Canada Jetlines is proud to launch our initial flights between Toronto to Calgary,” said Canada Jetlines CEO Eddy Doyle. “The two cities represent cultural diversity, economic trade, and significant investment opportunities. We are encouraged to continue expanding our reach, with the goal of serving as Toronto’s preferred airline.”
Flight AU120, which blocks in at 4 hours and 15 minutes, will depart Toronto’s Terminal 3 at 0755 and arrive in Calgary at 1010. The return flight, AU121, will depart Calgary at 1140 and arrive in Toronto at 1720 (all times local).
Not unlike most low-cost carriers, onboard amenities are limited. However, customers have the option to purchase food and beverages. In addition, in-flight entertainment is available on passenger devices. Each seat features USB power outlets.
A Crowded Field
Jetlines faces stiff competition in the skies over Canada. While post-pandemic travel continues to rebound, Jetlines has some headwinds with which to contend.
The carrier is launching at the beginning of the slower season for leisure travel — and without any sought-after “sun and fun” destinations. We hope Jetlines will announce more cities soon. Additionally, the fact that the airline is launching with just one airplane is less than ideal. If a weather or mechanical delay affects the sole Jetlines Airbus A320, there wouldn’t be much the airline could do to accommodate inconvenienced passengers.
Whichever way you look at it, Canada Jetlines has already faced a rocky road leading up to today’s first revenue flight. However, now that Jetlines’ successful inaugural flight is behind them, we wish them all the best and look forward to hearing about new planes and new routes soon.
Check out the video below for a detailed look at Canada Jetlines’ inaugural flight, thanks to Alex Praglowski Aviation on YouTube.
