Three years following its formation as a company, Vancouver-based ultra-low-cost-carrier (ULCC) Jetlines has announced its anticipated launch date.

 

December 17, 2019 is now the targeted first flight for the beleaguered airline that had initially intended to start its pan-Canadian operations last summer but missed its target.

 

Jetlines has since dropped plans to operate Boeing 737 aircraft and instead is focused on Airbus’ equivalent, the A320. The plane supplier has also changed from Indigo Group, a US-based aircraft leasing and airline investment firm, to SmartLynx, a European-based ULCC operating out of Latvia that belongs to the Icelandair Group.

 

The company has secured up to $15 million in financing from SmartLynx and $14 million from South Korean investment group InHarv.

 

Jetlines’ Executive Chairman, Mark Morabito, says “I am pleased with the Jetlines strategy of launching for the winter peak, in time for the holidays. The leased aircraft are on favourable terms as a result of our partnership with SmartLynx and this decision is expected to help Jetlines deliver better results than originally anticipated. In addition to our financing announcements with SmartLynx and InHarv, the Company continues to work with other groups in effort to secure the rest of the capital required for our start-up.”

 

Canada Jetlines is positioned to become Canada’s first true ULCC, with plans to operate flights across Canada and provide non-stop service from Canada to the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The airline gained notoriety in 2018 when management openly joked that its cross-country airfare would be commensurate with the cost of a pair of jeans. The quip was made in relation to the high cost of air travel in Canada. 

 

Although Victoria International Airport is not on Jetlines initial route network, a future expansion plan does identify Vancouver Island’s busiest airport as a destination. C

 

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