Canada Jetlines is aiming to offer value and affordability to Canadian air travel – which is something it sorely needs. This brand new Canadian air line is ambitious, so let’s see if the sky is the limit.
If you haven’t heard of Canada Jetlines just yet, that’s because they’re new to the Canadian air travel game – and they’re hoping their arrival will shake things up a bit.
Canada Jetlines is currently headquartered in Vancouver (with Vancouver International Airport as their home base), and it appears they saw an opportunity to meet the demand for low-fare air travel in this country. Based on how we much we pay to fly in Canada, that’s music to our ears.
That being said, we’re keen to see if they’ll model themselves after European airlines such as Ryanair or easyJet, which are known to charge exorbitant fees for things like forgetting to print out your boarding pass, or whether they’ll aim to take a higher road than that.
That being said, at We Explore Canada, we’re always pleased to see new airlines enter the game because it shakes the feathers of other players in Canadian air travel, which often means that better prices can be had for Canadian consumers.
A Bit About Canada Jetlines
The company was technically founded in 2013, so it’s been a lengthy runway to get where they are now. In 2016, they noted their plans to focus on flights throughout Canada, the United States, as well as the Caribbean.
They initially had plans to launch in the spring of 2019, but as you can imagine that start was delayed. It’s really only now that things are starting to ramp up. At the time of writing, booking doesn’t seem to be available just yet, but they do have a signup for their newsletter on their site if you’re keen to stay on top of their launch.
Vancouver will be their main hub, but it looks like Halifax (Halifax Stanfield International Airport) will be their hub in the east, with Hamilton (John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport) serving as a more central hub.
In their own words:
“Canada Jetlines is the Canadian airline that is all about value. We’re the little guy that sticks up for the other little guys, and we do it by being passionate about flying & people.
We strive to make air travel the best it can be for the best value possible. We’re just honest about flying, because we value travel.”
That sounds good on paper, but let’s see how it translates when things really get rolling.
Canada Jetlines First Aircraft Arrives in Canada
In February (2022), the first Canada Jetlines aircraft was flown from Shannon, Ireland and landed at Kitchener/Waterloo Airport.
Canada Jetlines has noted that the Airbus A320 will be the fleet standard, and they aim to start with one in 2022, and then bring that number up to 15 aircraft by 2025.
CEO Eddy Doyle noted that once the plane arrived in Kitchener/Waterloo that it was “a very special day for Canada Jetlines.”
He went on to say that, “the amazing aircraft livery and interior represent the new, fun, and exciting Canada Jetlines. This is an important milestone for our airline as we continue on the path to obtaining our Air Operator Certificate from Transport Canada. We are looking forward to operating our first revenue flights and welcoming our first guests following the receipt of regulatory approvals.”
Let’s See Where This All-Canadian Airline is Headed
Canada Jetlines has just partnered with their first online travel agencies (apparently CheapOAir, OneTravel, and CheapOair.ca), appointed a new CFO, and a whole bunch of other moves which suggest they’re gearing up for big time travel on the horizon.
For readers based in Toronto, we’re told that the aim is for the summer of 2022 to launch from there. A Canada Jetlines’ charter service to Miami is also rumoured to be afoot later this year.
Time will tell as to how this all unfolds, but in our humble opinion, it never hurts to have another player in a game which can certainly use a few more players at the table.
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Christopher Mitchell is a Co-founder of We Explore Canada. He’s visited over 80 countries and has lived on 4 continents, but now has his eyes set squarely on exploring this incredible country and helping others do the same.