Lynx Air Is the Newest Ultra-Low-Cost Carrier In North America

Canada is a country where low-cost airlines are relatively novel, but that’s all going to change as soon as a new ultra-low-cost carrier takes to the skies in early 2022.

From its base in Calgary (YYC), Lynx Air plans to shake up the competition in a market that’s historically been dominated by Air Canada and WestJet.

“We are excited to bring competition and choice to the Canadian aviation market at a time when Canadians are yearning for the opportunity to fly again, whether it be to see friends and family or to take a long-awaited holiday,” said Merren McArthur, CEO and President of Lynx Air.

Table of Contents

What We Know So Far
Final Thoughts

What We Know So Far

Fun fact: Lynx Air is actually not an entirely new airline. It’s actually a rebranding of Enerjet — a former charter airline that was popular in northern Alberta.

The new (or reborn) airline known as Lynx Air will initially take off with 3 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft sometime in 2022.

With highly experienced, low-cost airline guru Merren McArthur at the helm, Lynx Air has serious growth plans and has a total of 46 aircraft already on order.

What makes Lynx Air ultra-low-cost as opposed to just low-cost is that it will follow a completely à la carte booking model. Passengers should expect to have to pay for everything, including checked baggage, carry-on baggage, seat selection, and more.

Flyers can plan on having similar booking and inflight experiences as they would on some other ultra-low-cost airlines such as Spirit Airlines in the U.S., Europe’s Wizz Air, and other Canadian players Flair and Swoop.

We don’t have any information yet regarding the routes Lynx plans to serve upon launch, though McArthur has given some clues as to what the new routes might be: “Any markets that are unserved, or they’re underserved or they don’t have adequate low fares, will be markets that we will target,” she said.

YYC sign Calgary International Airport — Image Credit: YYC Calgary International Airport

What we do know is that the new airline’s route network will start with domestic Canadian flights, but then is poised to expand to transborder flights to the U.S., and eventually to flights even further afield by the end of 2022.

Final Thoughts

A new airline means more competition and, in turn, lower fares for passengers.

Not just that, but the news of a new market entrant is a positive sign for Canadian aviation as it works to recover from the worst of the pandemic.

While Americans may not feel the impact of Lynx Air’s arrival just yet, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on for the future, and should help travelers get around Canada at a much lower cost.