CALGARY –
The president and CEO of the Canada’s newest airline says it’s going to make air travel more accessible for Canadians.
Merren McArthur announced the launch of Lynx Air on Tuesday morning, Canada’s newest ultra-affordable airline.
McArthur says the airline, based out of Calgary, will debut with low fares, a fleet of brand-new Boeing 737 aircraft and great customer service.[embedded content]
McArthur, who served as the CEO of ultra low-cost carrier Tigerair Australia, said Lynx will adopt an ultra low-cost carrier model, which has revolutionized air travel across Europe and the United States, offering low fares, flexibility and choice.
“The model is about simplicity, efficiency and empowering customers to pay for what they want and nothing more,” McArthur said.
“Air fares have traditionally been high here in Canada, and we at Lynx believe there are Canadians who can’t afford to travel or can’t afford to travel as often as they would like.
“Our à la carte pricing allows customers to pick only the services they want to pay for, so they can save on the journey and spend at the end, at the destination – where it counts.”
The airline is named after the Canada Lynx, which McArthur said is “uniquely Canadian.”
“It’s courageous, it’s efficient, it’s adaptable and it travels vast distances across this continent.
“We also love the little play on words, because we plan to be an airline that ‘links’ Canadians to people and places.”
Lynx will start out with a fleet of three of Boeing 737’s newest aircraft which will arrive in Calgary in 2022.
The airline said it has “firm orders and lease agreements” in place for a total of 46 aircraft over the next seven years to meet anticipated demand.
“Boeing’s newest 737 aircraft enables the lowest cost operation of any aircraft in its market segment, making it a great fit for Lynx Air’s ultra low-cost business model,” said Brad McMullen, Senior Vice President of Sales, North America, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in a news release.
“Passengers can feel confident in Lynx Air’s choice of modern fleet, knowing this latest generation of aircraft are designed to offer the greatest flexibility, reliability and efficiency in the single-aisle market.”
“We don’t believe that low fares mean low value.”
McArthur says all Lynx team members will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and the airline will have “strict COVID-19 protocols in place” to ensure patrons feel safe.
Lynx Air has not yet announced routes and schedules, but said it plans to “soon.”
“Initially we’ll be flying domestic shot-haul and long-haul flights,” McArthur said. “As we evolve, we’ll expand our transport into the United States and ultimately internationally.”
Lynx Air will start booking slights in the next few weeks, with the first flights taking off later this year.
