Lynx Air announces direct Regina-Toronto and Regina-Vancouver routes for as low as $79

Saskatchewan residents and visitors could soon pay as little as $79 for a one-way flight in or out of Regina.

New nonstop flights to and from Vancouver and Toronto — two of Regina's busiest destinations — will start on June 20, Lynx Air said on Wednesday.

The announcement marks the low-cost carrier's first expansion into Saskatchewan. Regina will be the 23rd destination it serves across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

"We are pleased to offer an ultra-affordable option to connect Regina and Saskatchewan to B.C. and Ontario," said Lynx chief commercial officer Vijay Bathija in a Wednesday morning news release.

Lynx said it will run six non-stop flights per week on each route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Approximately 20,000 passengers travelled between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Regina International Airport last year, according to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

'Choose what you pay for': airport authority

Like other similar low-cost carriers such as Flair and Swoop, Lynx keeps base fares lower than traditional airlines by charging extra fees for services like snacks, carry-on as well as checked luggage and printed boarding passes.

That means you "choose what you pay for," according to Justin Reves with the Regina Airport Authority.

"We're really excited to have that as an option for passengers here at YQR," Reves, the airport's director of revenue development, public relations and customer experience, said in an interview.

"We certainly hope people give them a shot because those are very, very aggressive price points to go to two great markets."

Reves says the airport is still in 'pandemic recovery mode' and the new Lynx Air flights will help generate economic activity across the province. (Radio-Canada)

Reves said the new Lynx flights are also positive steps for the province's economy and for the airport itself, which generates about $800 million per year in economic activity but is still in "pandemic recovery mode."

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Last year, 103,000 passengers traveled through the Regina airport, the first time traffic exceeded the 100,000 passengers the airport welcomed pre-pandemic in 2019, he said.

"Every time we add even one more flight in and out of the city, it adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to the economy," said Reves. "And so having this many planes coming in and out is going to create more jobs, create more opportunity, create easier ways to connect friends, family [and] those who want to explore the country."

Regina's mayor Sandra Masters also praised the announcement on Wednesday.

"I am very pleased that residents and visitors to Regina will have an ultra-affordable flight option to travel to and from our city," she said in a news release.

"Having a brand-new flight carrier strengthens our visitor economy and provides residents with more options to explore our incredible country."