For three years in the early to mid-2000s, an airline by the name of Jetsgo was a key player in the Canadian low-cost market. Flying both domestically and further afield to the US and Caribbean, the budget carrier had bases at both Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).
In the beginning
Jetsgo was born in 2001, and launched operations the following June. Among the airline's founders was the serial aviation entrepreneur Michel Leblanc, who established a reported seven airlines in 20 years. Jetsgo initially operated a fleet that consisted of three rear-engined McDonnell Douglas MD-83 twinjets, but quickly grew to become an established presence in Canadian commercial aviation.
The carrier had grown so much that at the time of its eventual demise, it had become Canada's third-largest airline, serving a total of 19 destinations across the country, including Vancouver (YVR) and Halifax (YHZ). In addition to Jetsgo's sizeable domestic presence, it also flew to 10 destinations in the neighboring US, such as Las Vegas (LAS) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
Meanwhile, for passengers wishing to use the low-cost carrier to chase the sun, Jetsgo served a further 12 destinations in Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic on a charter basis. Its aircraft bore large green smiley faces on their tails.
What aircraft did Jetsgo fly?
Having started off small, Jetsgo ended up amassing a considerable fleet during its relatively short period of operations. Indeed, data from ch-aviation shows that the carrier operated a total of 32 aircraft. Jetsgo's fleet was made up of two aircraft - the Fokker 100 and the McDonnell Douglas MD-83.
Jetsgo operated 18 Fokker 100s over the years, all of which came to the airline from American Airlines. Jetsgo's other 14 aircraft were the larger McDonnell Douglas MD-83, which typically carried a total of 155 passengers in a single-class configuration. While Jetsgo's cabins were all-economy in nature, they did feature a small 'comfort plus' section with extra legroom.
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Operations ceased almost 19 years ago
While Jetsgo boasted an impressive fleet and network, these factors hid a less pleasant truth. The carrier was heavily indebted, having racked up $55 million of debt in the last eight months of its operations alone. This prompted it to abruptly cease operations almost 19 years ago, on March 11th, 2005.
The sudden nature of Jetsgo's collapse meant that it was unable to arrange alternative transport home for thousands of stranded passengers. The situation was worsened by the fact that it took place just before Canada's March school holidays. In the end, extra flights operated by Air Canada and WestJet picked up the pieces of an airline that soon became labeled as 'Jetsgone,' having disappeared so quickly.
What Happened To Canadian Carrier Royal Airlines?
After ten years of operations, Royal Airways was merged into Canada 3000.Do you remember the Canadian low-cost carrier Jetsgo? Did you fly with the airline back in the day? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section.