Aug 08, 2018 by Greg Mercer Waterloo Region Record
BRESLAU — WestJet is ending its early-morning flight out of Waterloo Region, and is returning to a daytime departure that some hope will bring more traffic back to the regional airport.
The changes take effect Thursday to the last remaining national passenger flight serving the Region of Waterloo International Airport.
WestJet has altered the daily flight’s schedule three times since last November, first changing it from an evening departure and then ending an unpopular red-eye return over complaints from passengers.
The new 4:30 p.m. departure to Calgary will replace the previous 6 a.m. flight, which left the airport empty of travellers for most of the day.
“Thank God,” said Lorne Miller, who operates the Aviator Cafe in the departure lounge. “We couldn’t make a dime with the old schedule because no one was there to buy anything.”
Miller said he expects passenger volumes to pick up with the new afternoon departure, which gets passengers into Calgary at around 6:30 p.m. The return flight will have passengers land in Kitchener at about 3:30 p.m.
He plans to reopen his food kiosk in the airport lobby that he’d closed because of a drop-off in customers.
“My staff hated me,” he said. “We had to open up at 3 a.m. and be out of there by 7 a.m. Now I’m expecting things to grow at the airport.”
The only other passenger flight serving the local airport is an 18-minute service by FlyGTA Airlines to the Toronto Island Airport, geared toward business commuters.
WestJet says it made the change in response to passengers’ demands.
“We heard from our guests that a daytime flight was most convenient and we are glad to be able to provide this to the community,” said Lauren Stewart, a spokesperson for the airline.
Travellers, meanwhile, are celebrating the end of a flight that left the local airport at 6 a.m.
“I’m thrilled that WestJet is ditching its mind-boggling departure time from Waterloo Region to a convenient time in the late afternoon,” said Victoria’s Katherine Dedyna, who flies frequently out of the Breslau airport.
Airport administration, who have long tried to convince airlines to bring other flight options to the terminal, said it’s too early to say how passengers might respond to the new schedule.
But an afternoon departure will make things easier on its staff.
“The new flight is better for us from an operational perspective and staffing, but doesn’t allow as many connections for passengers once in Calgary,” said Chris Wood, the airport’s general manager.
“So it remains to be seen how it performs for WestJet.”
gmercer@therecord.com