Airlines continue to expand service across northern Ontario

Flying in, out and around northern Ontario is getting easier with several airlines expanding in the region.

The latest is WestJet, which is set to resume service to Sudbury in February, with plans to have three daily flights to Toronto by mid-day.

The airline flew in and out of Sudbury between 2001 and 2003, but pulled out after not getting enough passengers.

Public relations manager Robert Palmer says the airline is taking a second look at smaller centres like Sudbury, with its new regional carrier Encore. The carrier is equipped with a fleet of 78-seat Q400s, as opposed to the much larger and harder-to-fill 737s.

"We firmly believe in healthy competition and we will vigorously compete for the loyalty of travellers in the Greater Sudbury area," he says, adding that further expansion to other northern cities is currently not on their radar. 

And it will be healthy competition, with WestJet bringing the total of flights to Toronto out of Sudbury to 10.

Flying direct has its appeal

Bearskin Airlines has also expanded its service this fall, with more flights between Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.

Marketing director Ron Hell believes northerners, especially business travellers, would rather fly direct, rather than having to go through Toronto.

"We don't necessarily see the market as increasing, but we do see recapturing more market share," he says, adding that one of their biggest competitors is people who decide to drive from city to city, instead of flying.

Porter Airlines has also been expanding across the north in recent years, adding flights to North Bay, Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie.

Spokesperson Brad Cicero says his airline helped open up this market by ending the near monopoly Air Canada once had over many routes in central Canada.

He says the lower air fares have helped pull customers away from bus and rail companies, as well as those who would have never considered a business trip or vacation in the past.

"You're also encouraging people to take a trip period," Cicero says.

"If it's more affordable, then people are actually willing to put that on their list of something they're willing to consider. And in the past before we were in that market, you know, people would not even have that cross their mind because they thought it was too expensive." 

With the long-time lobbying to bring WestJet back over, Sudbury Airport CEO Todd Tripp says they're now trying to convince WestJet and other airlines to add more direct routes, including to western Canada.

"We have to do our homework and make sure we are providing them with the data that shows it's a viable option. And the way to do that, as I've said many times, is the community has to support the airport," Tripp says. 

"The community has to come out and use the airport instead of Highway 69 to go to Toronto."