'We want to bring a long weekend culture to Canada': Flair adding two new Canadian destinations flying from Windsor airport

The airline announced Tuesday direct YQG flights are being added to Halifax and Montreal.

The flights to Montreal will be $29 dollars in each direction, departing Thursdays and returning Sundays, starting July 7, 2022.

A Windsor to Halifax flight will be $29 dollars there and $49 to return, departing Fridays and returning Monday, starting July 8, 2022.

“Our goal is to stimulate demand. Our biggest competition as an airline is the couch,” says Eric Tanner, the director of network planning and scheduling at Flair Airlines. “We want to get people off the couch and we want to bring a long weekend culture to Canada.”

This adds to Flair’s YQG offerings. Just last week, the airline announced direct flights from Windsor to Tucson, Arizona.

A Flair plane at the Region of Waterloo Airport on Dec. 13, 2021.

“As we come out of the pandemic, as we see a demand out of the travel side and for people to get back into the air and flying,” says Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “It’s great to have an airline like Flair, an ultra-low cost carrier.”

YQG had a banner year in 2019, returning a $1 million dividend to the City of Windsor.

After a few pandemic-riddled ‘down years’ which saw the airport closed to international flights, the airport is scouting more new opportunities to build back up.

“When you weather the storm and you’ve gone to war, you’re well positioned to rise,” says airport CEO Mark Galvin. “I think these are places people want to go."

“Obviously I’m going to keep banging the drum for more, I make no apologies for that.”

Tanner says this is a beta test for Windsor, noting if successful, more flight destinations could be added to the recovering airport.

“This is to prove it out,” Tanner says. “This is hopefully the first of many times I come to this conference room to announce new service to Windsor.”

The online flight-booking tool is live at Flair Airlines’ website.