Flair Airlines to jet from Windsor to Tucson, Halifax and Montreal

Windsor International Airport is offering new flights to Tucson, Halifax and Montreal this summer onFlair Airlines, the company announced Tuesday.

TheEdmonton-based discount carrier said the twice-weekly services to Halifax will begin July 8 and twice weekly toMontreal onJuly 7. The cost of a one-way ticket including taxes is set to be $29 to Montreal and $49 to Halifax from Windsor.

The company will also offerweekly, $99 flights from Windsor to Tucson, Ariz., from Dec. 1, 2022, to March 23, 2023.

Tuesday's announcement ushers in the first direct flight connecting Windsor to the east coast.

"I think that's reallyimportant," said airport chief executive officerMark Galvin.

"We tend to get into travel patterns and I think COVID actually had a positivepeopleexperiencednew places and did new things ...The destinations we were talking about were the same destinations Flair was talking about."

Galvin said he's thrilled by the addition of new destinations and will keep pursuing more to bring to the airport.

When asked how the airline is able the keep prices so low, a representative said Flair runs efficient routes for flights and crews.

"Our goal is to stimulate demand," saidEric Tanner, director of network planning and scheduling for Flair Airlines.

"Our biggest competition as an airline is the couch. We want to get people off the couch and bring a long-weekend culture to Canada, where people say 'I've got no plans this weekend what do you want to do? Let's go to Halifax, let's go to Montreal.'"

Tanner said the company wants to see if passengers are willing to travel, before Flair considers opening more routes elsewhere from the city.

"This is our beta test for Windsor and we're really excited about it, and we're quite confident it will work."

Galvin said he hopes this is the beginning of pre-pandemic travel for the airport.

Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island, said he's also looking at ways to market the city to outside travellers, especially those conducting business.

"We do see great opportunities, for sure," said Orr.

"The direct flight opportunities are paramount and I think they're a great opportunity to promote that to the U.S. market.

"To encourage them to come here and either add a day or two on either side of their trip and or stay overnight prior to their departure has great benefits so we'll definitely be marketing it to the U.S. for sure."