Region of Waterloo International Airport - YKF

[Coke6pk]

What other airline would be attracted... because they WERE wildly successful.  In the case of AA, an executive told me they were profitable at about 15-20 pax.  The plane held 53 (50 pax, 3 crew) and was full, twice daily.  The issue AA had with YKF was US Pre-Clearance.  They had to land at the international terminal in Chicago, then the plane was taxied over to the domestic terminal, costing them two gate fees.  It still made money, but when they cancelled YKF, it became the Akron - Chicago flight, eliminating those extra fees.  At the same time, extra flights were added at LBPIA (where there is pre-clearance) and they knew that we would do the hour long drive to take the same flight... which we did.

The airline industry is normally very timid, and as an exec once told me "If you take a risk on a small airport like this, and it pays off, great.  If it doesn't, you are likely out of a job.  Put that same flight into a Pearson like airport, and win or lose, you'll still be employed"

WestJet touted a Vancouver flight, but it did a stop in Calgary, and was essentially the same flight we have now.  I don't believe they have cancelled anything.  (They have done limited expansion for a 3-6 month period with extra flights, and then those have ended)

As Flair grows, the "risk" associated with RoWIA will diminish.

Coke

I'm sorry, I don't get your point, they were successful, yet still left because other routes were more successful.

How is that not marginal and struggling?

You can't make more money than a sold out flight, so to refer to it as marginal and/or struggling is what I'm trying to counter.

Is the other more more profititable?  I doubt it.  But it does open an extra gate for a separate international flight.

There are logistical/financial reasons outside of our control when it comes to US airlines using RoWIA.

I'm glad AC never came in... they would of effectively killed everything we had to date like they normally do in their need for monopoly.  WestJet's local management is based out of Hamilton, and they keep expansion there first.  Flair is the kind of airline that CAN succeed in RoWIA, and I hope they do.  So far, they seem to be doing well.

Coke