GRAB SOME AFTERNOON DELIGHT

WestJet daily Halifax service offers more choices for people who hate mornings

(Jan 31, 2017) The Gander International Airport Authority (GIAA) is welcoming news that WestJet Encore will resume daily year-round service with an afternoon flight to Halifax beginning April 30.

GIAA President and CEO Reg Wright said the airport authority and its community partners have been working to establish more flights outside of the morning peak. The new Halifax route arrives at 2:10 p.m. and departs Gander for Halifax at 2:50 p.m.

“The price of airfares out of Gander has fallen significantly over the last few years, but our customers and stakeholders told us that we needed to recruit more afternoon flights,” he said. “Air Canada’s afternoon Halifax departure has always been extremely popular with our passengers, so a convenient afternoon WestJet flight, with timely connections beyond, provides more choice and seats.”

Wright explained that Gander Airport has traditionally been top-heavy with morning departures. In the summer, half of the flights from Gander departed between 545 and 725 am, carrying almost 70% of the day’s departing passengers.

“Many travelers enjoy a morning flight and it does have its advantages. However, there are some people who will go to great lengths to avoid redeyes and early morning departures,” he said. “80% of people in the airport’s service area live more than 20 minutes drive from the airport. It isn’t easy for a traveler from Buchans, New-Wes-Valley, Eastport or Twillingate to drive an hour and a half to meet a check-in deadline 90 minutes prior to a 530 am domestic flight. With both Air Canada and WestJet Encore offering mid-afternoon departures, travelers can get some more beauty sleep. This is welcome news for locals and also non-resident visitors to Central, who can spend more time exploring what the region has to offer.”

Overall, WestJet’s guests in Atlantic Canada have a total of 31 non-stop routes and 21 different WestJet destinations to choose from. WestJet has increased its capacity out of this region by 75 per cent in the last 10 years and now accounts for 62 per cent of the capacity growth of all of the airlines that serve the Atlantic provinces.

 About Gander International Airport Authority

The Gander International Airport Authority is the not-for-profit organization created in 1996 to manage operations at Gander International Airport (CYQX). Gander International Airport offers scheduled and charter service from Air Canada, Provincial Airlines, Sunwing Airlines and WestJet.  The airport plays a key role in the economic and community development of the Central Newfoundland region. The airport’s economic contribution include 1,260 full-time jobs, $90 million in wages, $140 million in gross domestic product (GDP) and $240 million in economic impact.

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For further information, please contact:

 Reg Wright, President and CEO

(709) 256-6668