Windsor airport hopes to bring in more carriers, low-cost flights

Windsor International Airport is welcoming its first low-cost airline, but it won't likely be the last.

Flair Airlines will offer weekly, $99 flights from Windsor to Tucson, Ariz., from Dec. 1, 2022, to March 23, 2023.

"There's a pent-up demand, and I think people really want to travel with us to see loved ones or to do business or to go on vacation," airport CEO Mark Galvin said.

There are currently no low-cost flights from Windsor to other Canadian destinations, however, although the airport said it's working behind the scenes to attract more carriers (at the moment, there are four carriers offering flights out of the Windsor airport).

Boosting the number of low-cost flights from Windsor, and the number of carriers operating out of the airport in general, is something passengers recently told CBC News they'd be in favour of.

"I think any growth for Windsor is important," said Beverly Cartlidge, who grew up in Windsor, but then moved to Switzerland, and was returning to visit the city this week. "So, more flights to Windsor means more people, which I think would be beneficial for businesses here."

Tom Gibson, who spoke to CBC News after arriving in Windsor from Winnipeg, said his home city offers plenty of low-cost, direct flights to various destinations, which are very convenient for travellers.

"We can get direct flights to California, direct flights to Mexico and Arizona from there," he said. "I would think if you could do the same kind of thing here, we would be a lot better."