A Decision On If Flair Airlines Is Canadian Enough To Operate In Canada Is Coming Next Month
The airline could get its operating licences suspended.
Flair Airlines airplanes.
"Ultra-low-cost carrier" Flair Airlines is being investigated to see if it's Canadian enough to actually operate in Canada and a final decision will be released next month.
Back on March 3, 2022, the Canadian Transportation Agency issued a preliminary determination that Flair might not be controlled by Canadians and therefore might not actually be "Canadian."
Flair had been given 60 days from when the determination was issued to respond.
It was announced on May 4, 2022, that the airline has submitted its response to the preliminary determination and the CTA is currently in the process of reviewing the information that was provided.
The CTA panel will "consider all evidence" before making a final decision, and if the panel determines at the end of the process that Flair isn't Canadian-owned, Flair's licences would then be suspended.
The CTA had previously said that Flair holds licences authorizing domestic, scheduled international and non-scheduled international air services and that the Canada Transportation Act requires an airline to be Canadian to provide those services.
If it's found that Flair isn't Canadian enough and its licence gets suspended, the airline would not be allowed to operate in Canada.
A final public determination will be issued on June 1, 2022, "with reasons and conclusions," the CTA said.
Flair Airlines CEO and President Stephen Jones told Narcity that the review by the CTA is "an administrative process" and he has "complete confidence" that Flair flights will continue.
"We understand very clearly the CTA's areas of concern and we have made significant concessions to ensure a positive decision from the CTA," he said.
On April 19, 2022, CEOs of the National Airlines Council of Canada (which represents Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet) and the Air Transport Association of Canada (which represents Canadian carriers of all categories) issued a joint statement about Flair.
The CEOs called on the federal government to not allow Flair an exemption to the Canada Transportation Act's rules because it would threaten the confidence of Canadians in the travel industry.
At the time, Jones said Air Canada and WestJet were "teaming up to protect their high fares."