After beginning service in June from a mid-Island airport, ultra-low-cost airline Swoop has announced its birds will soon be grounded.
According to Comox Valley Airport market development manager Erin Neely, the airline will end its service between Edmonton and Comox on Sept. 15.
Neely said they had hoped to see the service last until the end of the month or even Thanksgiving. However, the route was a seasonal summer route to begin with.
Neely adds they will be trying to get Swoop to return, but they might face some challenges.
“Ultra-low-cost carriers tend to favour bases with significant populations to draw from,” said Neely. “While we bucked that trend with a hope for significant domestic demand to our station over the summer, the actual passenger loads proved to be less than adequate to sustain both ULC carriers beyond the peak summer months.”
WestJet, Swoop’s parent company, will continue to have service from Comox to Edmonton and its route to Puerto Vallarta will return in November, according to the airport.
Neely says they are encouraging the return of the service, but do not expect any news until 2023 or for more service routes to expand schedules.
