A new Canadian airline was introduced this November 16, startup Lynx Air formerly known as Enejert and Flytoo, revealing that it has an order for 46 Boeing 737 MAX for its fleet.
Lynx will adopt the ultra-low-cost model, selecting Calgary as its home base, and plans to announce routes and schedules soon. Merren McArthur, who has extensive experience in the industry, has been named CEO and President of Lynx.
McArthur has served as CEO of ultra-low-cost carrier Tigerair Australia, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and was part of the founding of Virgin Australia Cargo.
«We are excited to bring competition and choice to Canada’s aviation market at a time when Canadians are craving the opportunity to fly again, whether it’s to see friends and family or to take a long-awaited vacation,» McArthur said, adding that they plan to start with domestic flights across Canada, before focusing on the United States and overseas in late 2022.
The company will generate about 450 jobs across Canada, all of which will need to be COVID-19 vaccinated.
Lynx will operate a fleet of Boeing 737-8s, with firm orders and lease agreements in place for a total of 46 aircraft over the next seven years. The first three Boeing 737s will arrive in early 2022 and are currently stored in the U.S. under Enerjet colors.
«Boeing’s newest 737 aircraft enables the lowest cost operation versus any aircraft in its market segment, making it an excellent choice for Lynx Air’s ultra-low-cost business model», said Brad McMullen, Senior Vice President of Sales, North America, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Congratulations, @Lynx_Air, Canada’s newest airline. Thank you for launching with an all-737 fleet. Welcome to the Boeing family!
Release: https://t.co/g5tdSUVEjh pic.twitter.com/bMJ5DkcP3t
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) November 16, 2021
The new airline will have to compete with ultra-low-cost carriers (ULLC) Westjet (Swoop) and Flair Airlines; these two companies have been established in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The ultra-low-cost segment is a recent development in Canada. However, it has been well received by passengers and has grown significantly, allowing companies to launch flights to the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
Lynx has an advantage in choosing Calgary as its central hub since although it is WestJet’s territory, it has no competition from other ULCCs.
