On May 31st, Flair Airlines CEO Stephen Jones led a press conference giving an update on the state of Flair Airlines, where he stressed the performance of Flair Airlines as Canada’s leading ultra-low-cost carrier.
First, a sustainability challenge
During the presentation Jones made a bold sustainability challenge to Canadian aviation. He considered that “grams of co2 per passenger kilometer flown [is] a critical metric for the industry as we look into the future that we all face”.
If I was to leave you with one thing, it would be a challenge for our other competitors to do the same and disclose those same metrics and then you, the media can form a view on performance.
Clearly, Jones was leaving a marker down for the gathered media. As per Flair Airlines’ climate action webpage, a 737 MAX 8 with fuel efficiency and emissions 15-30% less than a 737-800. To Jones, the best way to reduce emissions in aviation is to have a high load factor – or percentage of seats filled – on every flight.
Load factors high with low fare business model
In its presentation, Flair Airlines' leaders showed that with 18 737s on hand, the airline filled around 90% of its 480,000+ total seats in April and May. It helps that the airline has a low-fare business model.
Jones did say, when asked by Simple Flying, how much of a model Southwest Airlines was to Flair but that the model was more Ryanair. He explained;
"For us, I think the gold standard would be Ryanair with about 550 aircraft and they operate like a Swiss watch they're on time… it's a fantastic business model to emulate."
A check of ch-aviation.com’s database shows that Ryanair has – counting wet-leased aircraft – 533 aircraft on hand, including 107 737-8-200s.
Read our analysis of wet leasing
Ryanair reports 86% on-time performance for April 2023 while Flair shared 74.1%, but for May 2023, that skyrocketed to 82.1%. Finally, Ryanair does publish their emissions statistics – meeting the challenge Jones laid down earlier.
737 MAX 8 working well
When asked by Simple Flying about the performance of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, Jones deferred to Chief Operating Officer Maciej Wilk. He said Flair was “very pleased” with the 737 MAX 8, citing the 20% less fuel burn and a more “spacious” cabin for passengers and luggage. However, as per a Simple Flying trip review, there are Ryanair-esque fees for bags.
Wilk also added the only setback or issue for Flair Airlines in regard to the 737 MAX is the delivery delay, although Flair Airlines expects three more 737 MAX 8s on hand by the end of summer.
Check out more 2023 Boeing orders here
New routes also planned
The airline plans many new routes from Southwestern Ontario’s Kitchener/Waterloo, London and even Windsor to Alberta, British Columbia, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Meanwhile, Quebec City will finally get ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) service from Edmonton and Halifax. Winnipeg will also get new connections to Kelowna, British Columbia; London, Ontario; and even Victoria, British Columbia. As if that wasn't enough, Kamloops in central British Columbia will be connected to central Alberta's Edmonton as per below.
Jones added that there is a possibility of more US cities being connected to Canadian cities – but not US cities to US cities.
Finally, a special message from Flair Airlines
Flair Airlines did also tweet out a thank you to flight attendants on International Flight Attendant Day.
A day that as explained by Simple Flying's cabin crew expert Patricia Green recognizes the role they play.
"Most flight attendants are passionate about their work and the aviation world and take great pride. However, they rarely get credit for what they do. A passenger may only see a smiling face and a uniform whilst they wait for a drink or a meal. They don't realize that flight attendants are always ready to jump into action in a split second. Cabin crew are constantly problem-solving and dealing with any given situation on the aircraft. They are fully committed to their work and are the brand ambassador for their airline."
Hence polite tweets and treats from airlines to their flight attendants every May 31.
What is your assessment of Flair Airlines? Please share with civility in the comments.
Source: ch-aviation.com