THUNDER BAY – Direct flights from Thunder Bay to the United States don't appear to be on the airport's manifest in the near future, but there are opportunities for international growth.
The Thunder Bay International Airport most recently had regular U.S. service when United Airlines operated once-a-day flights from Thunder Bay to Chicago, but that route ended in April 2014 after 14 months.
Airport president and chief executive officer Ed Schmidtke said Thunder Bay is not alone in Canadian cities that have lost American connections.
“That has a lot more to do with the business approaches now taken by American carriers than it does the Thunder Bay market,” Schmidtke said, adding U.S. airlines have also pulled out of Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and London since United cancelled its route between Thunder Bay to the Windy City.
“It has a lot to do with the economics of the currency exchange working against that service. It has a lot to do with the economics of some of those smaller jets and how expensive they’ve become to operate as they’ve gotten older.”
The airport is seeing international expansion, with Sunwing Vacations now offering their seasonal service in Thunder Bay beginning in the end of October rather than during the Christmas season.
Schmidtke described it as a "very aggressive" play that opens up increased capability for city and regional travellers to head south.
“That’s a lot of new supply for our market,” Schmidtke said. “People are getting away more than once a year, if that’s a location that’s their preference.”
Later this month Celebrity Cruises is operating a charter flight out of Thunder Bay to get passengers non-stop to South Florida for their all-included Caribbean cruise.
As well, the return of the first cruise ship to the city in six years when Victory Cruise Lines docks in Thunder Bay this July is anticipated to increase aviation travel. The cruise line is using Thunder Bay as a turnaround point, which is expected to result in a total of more than 400 passengers travelling through the airport.
“We’re starting to see some changes in that market,” Schmidtke said. “It may not be one for one, that because we no longer have connecting service to Chicago that that’s coming back. But you’re right to think that people are going to look at the market to see if it can support some exceptional charter service.”
Domestically, Porter Airlines established a crew base in Thunder Bay that will locate 40 pilot and flight attendant jobs in the city. The airline also added a seventh daily flight from Thunder Bay to Toronto's Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
