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A Canadian funds airline is shutting down over the weekend, blaming rising prices, unfavourable alternate charges and “competitive tension” for its demise.
Lynx Air, based mostly in Calgary, advised passengers: “Lynx Air will cease flight operations as of 12:01 am Mountain Time on Monday 26 February.” All ahead bookings past that point are cancelled, with passengers advised to assert refunds from their credit-card corporations.
The low-cost service was a rebranding of an airline named Enerjet, which had been arrange in 2006. Its first scheduled flights as Lynx Air started in April 2022, with Boeing 737 Max plane serving locations in Canada, the US and Mexico.
In its closing assertion, the airline mentioned: “It is with a heavy heart we leave the skies. We hope in our absence that our vision to Inspire More Canadians to Fly leaves its mark on our passengers.
“Tremendous work was put into the growth and expansion of Lynx Air over the past two years, offering Canadians a low-cost, seamless travel experience.
“However, the compounding financial pressures associated with inflation, fuel costs, exchange rates, cost of capital, regulatory costs and competitive tension in the Canadian market have ultimately proven too steep a mountain for our organisation to overcome.”
Rivalry in Canadian aviation is intense, with two massive airways: long-established Air Canada and WestJet, based in Calgary 30 years in the past.
Investors in Lynx Air included Indigo Partners, a non-public fairness fund that additionally has pursuits in Wizz Air in addition to Frontier Airlines of the US and Volaris of Mexico.
Lynx Air mentioned it goals to function most of its flights over the weekend to “bring as many of our travellers home as possible”.
Research by The Independent of flights from the primary base, Calgary, reveals cancellations on Friday to and from Las Vegas, Phoenix and Victoria BC.
Passengers as a consequence of journey from Monday onwards are additionally advised they’ll swap to earlier flights if seats can be found. Otherwise, says the airline: “You can contact your credit card company and they will refund your flight.”
Vouchers for journey on Lynx Air at the moment are nugatory.
Canada’s transport minister, Pablo Rodriguez, posted an announcement on X (previously Twitter) saying: “I’m thinking of the Canadian travellers and workers affected by this news, their families, and the communities across Canada who will feel the impact of this.
“For any travellers that had a return flight booked with Lynx, I expect Lynx to help you get back home as soon as possible. I expect Lynx to fully refund you if your fare won’t be honoured.
“My office has been in touch with Lynx, we will continue to communicate with all parties, and we’ve convened calls with other airlines to see how they can help, to ensure that passengers are put first.”
The Lynx Air assertion on its closure concluded: “Our passengers were a big part of our purpose and drive to build our airline. Offering low fares to inspire Canadians to fly more and to spend more enjoying time with loved ones in beloved destinations was a great privilege.
“Thank you for supporting us in our journey, we are as disappointed as you are. We are thankful for the loyalty of our passengers who valued our ultra low-cost carrier model. We know this is a shock to many and our goal is to make the wind down of our operations as seamless as possible. It has been a privilege to serve you.”
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