Flair Airlines Eyes Major Expansion

Canada’s low-cost Flair Airlines is plotting significant expansion in the coming years.

A move to expand follows an increased appetite to grow in the Canadian and closely located markets. While also competing with other carriers in the same sector.

Flair’s Expansion Plans Revealed

As part of expansion efforts, Flair Airlines says it’d like to have 50 aircraft by 2027, a two-year delay following initial guidance.

However, by having a total of 50 aircraft, representing a substantial increase on current operational aircraft, the airline wishes to expand further.

An expansion directly responds to the continued growing market and the appetite for ultra-low-cost travel in Canada. A country that has primarily been plagued by high airfares for some time, robbing people of the opportunity to travel.

In 2024 alone, the airline will expand its ever-growing route network with flights in Canada alongside further expansion towards Mexico. Warm weather destinations are a popular choice from the typical rainy and cold Canada.

44 total sun destinations will be available to Flair customers this upcoming winter, highlighting that commitment to offering a warmer retreat.

Flair firmly believes that there’s a lot of further room for growth, especially in relatively price-sensitive leisure markets.

The ULCC wants to leverage its position to identify markets in which it could work while also benefitting customers who may be priced out or have a lack of available connections.

A Look At The Flair Network

Per Cirium, looking at the route network for September 2023, it increased its flights to 2.48k, which represented a 17.3% increase.

Additionally, it saw 468,000 seats offered, which was also a 17.2% growth for the same month one year prior. Routes increased by 6 to a total of 64 as well.

Based on flights offered, its most popular connection is between Vancouver and Toronto, which enjoyed a 29% increase to 142 flights.

Among the biggest growers year-on-year was a 161% increase between Winnipeg and Calgary. Flair also saw a 105% jump in service between Kelowna and Edmonton.

Among some routes that were discontinued this September just gone, there were several significant drop-offs on retained routes. This included an 87% drop in service for Kitchener and Charlottetown.

What Aircraft Do Flair Operate?

Flair operates a fleet of 20 in-service aircraft spread across the 737 family.

Its most considerable reliance is on the 737 MAX series, where 18 of the 20 total units come from. These are for the 737-8 variant, with an average age of 1.6 years.

Flair has been lucky with attractive aircraft secured through 777 Partners at a relatively young age but no home, similar to Bonza.

Additionally, it flies two 737-800s where the average age of these units sits closer to 13 years, at 12.9.

Looking ahead, the airline will undoubtedly hope to grow its fleet and likely stick with a reliance on the 737 MAX, which has thus far done a solid job for them.