Yahoo Finance Low-cost airline readies for takeoff in Edmonton
Thinking about a trip out to BC this year to visit Aunt Mabel?
Instead of a nine and a half hour drive to Kamloops, Edmontonians will soon have the option of flying with Canada's newest discount airline.
NewLeaf Travel, the Winnipeg-based discount travel company that launched in January and then abruptly put its operations on hold, says it will start flying on July 25. Of the 12 Canadian cities included in its flight plan, Edmonton is the only Alberta city on the list.
According to the NewLeaf website, one-way flights from Edmonton to six destinations will begin immediately, with tickets starting at $79.
- Moncton, N.B. — $303.58
- Hamilton, Ont. — $222.73
- Kamloops, B.C. — $79
- Fort St. John, B.C. — $79
- Abbotsford, B.C. — $119
- Victoria, B.C. — $89
Other cities that will be served by the airline include Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon and Kelowna.
Those rock bottom prices, though, don't include things that many people might want to take on a flight — like luggage and carry-on. Passengers are allowed to carry on one item that fits under the seat, but a second item will cost $30 if booked online ahead of time. If you showed up at the airport with a second carry-on item, it will cost $80.
Also, there are also no free drinks or snacks.
Original launch delayed
The company's original launch date in January 2016 was delayed amid a Canadian Transportation Agency review of the operating licences for indirect air service carriers like NewLeaf. The CTA signed off on NewLeaf's business model in March, and now the company says it is ready to go.
But there's still one hurdle to overcome: an appeal by airline consumer advocate Gabor Lukacs of the CTA's decision.
NewLeaf chief executive Jim Young says the company has been cleared for takeoff, and is eager to get to work.
"We're certainly not going to wait around for a single individual to decide whether or not we can fly," he said at a launch event at Winnipeg's airport Thursday.
