Canada Jetlines to Launch Toronto–Vancouver Route

Wings continue taking to the skies in the world of budget aviation, and October is proving to bear yet more fruit from a bevvy of ultra-low-cost carriers.

First, Lynx and Flair Airlines started another Battle of Alberta as they clambered for more routes and market share. Not one to miss out on the action, newcomer Canada Jetlines has decided to double-down on its offerings shortly after launching.

Let’s dig into the upstart’s new route, as well as the decision to add a second Airbus A320 to its small fleet.

New Routes and Aircraft

Canada Jetlines has always been a little iconoclastic. At one point in time, their slogan was set to be the memorably tongue-in-cheek phrase “Flying sucks less when you pay less.”

Alas, this catchphrase hasn’t survived to the final product being flown today, but its final fate is indicative of Jetlines’ strategy: change flight paths when necessary.

When the airline flew its inaugural flight back on September 22, 2022, it conducted said flight between Toronto and Calgary, a very popular route for the modern budget airline. This is also meant a temporary forestalling of the carrier’s ambitions to service lesser-flown locales, such as Niagara Falls and Winnipeg.

However, company management must feel positive about the reception their effort received. While Toronto to Calgary is to remain Jetlines’ premier route, a new one was announced on October 19, 2022.

The new route will connect Toronto to Vancouver aboard Jetlines’ forthcoming second aircraft, also an Airbus A320.

There must be a sense of urgency, because this second route is set to launch in December 2022, just in time for the hectic Christmas leisure travel season. One hopes that the company will attempt to get both passengers and luggage to their destinations in time, barring any issues with its two aircraft.

With this move to expand their fleet and open themselves up to a larger market, it’s clear that Jetlines sees itself as a serious future contender in the budget travel space, even pledging to operate a fleet of 15 aircraft by 2025. With so much competition on the market, though, is this a tenable strategy?

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