Direct flights between Fort McMurray and Las Vegas have been officially cancelled.
WestJet says low flyer turnout made the flights unsustainable, the last of which will take-off on August 9.
WestJet’s Public Relations Manager Robert Palmer says Vegas in cold weather might seem more attractive, there’s a catch there.
“It’s aircraft availability, is the problem. The winter months, we have fewer aircraft available because they are headed south. We devote up to about 30% of our fleet, we actually physically re-position it, to do sun destinations,” he said.
He also says the decision was based on more than just the last six week.
“While the service was only operating for about six or seven weeks before it was cancelled, the reality is it was for sale since the 20th of January. So, there was a pretty good kick at the cat as they say,” he said.
The flights, which began on June 24, coincided with the grand opening of the new terminal a couple weeks earlier.
Palmer says the decision to cancel wasn’t based on a lack of trying.
“A great deal of time, money, and effort went into promoting it on the part of everyone. So this was not the fault of anyone who was involved in helping to promote the service, I think there was a fairly high level of awareness, but the reality is for whatever reason, the demand just wasn’t there,” he said.
