Sunwing to fly to sunny destinations

Hours after one low-cost airline confirmed it would scrap flights in and out of Saskatoon this winter, one of its competitors unveiled its plan to keep flying vacationers to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

In a news release issued Tuesday afternoon, Sunwing Airlines Inc. said it plans to provide weekly flights out of the city beginning Nov. 5 — leading to praise from the Saskatoon Airport Authority ’s chief executive.

“Skyxe Saskatoon Airport appreciates the dedication of our air carrier partner, Sunwing Airlines, who has remained committed to the Saskatchewan market,” Stephen Maybury said in a news release.

“Offering our customers the convenience of departing from their local airport is one of our key commitments,” wrote Andrew Dawson, Sunwing’s head of tour operations.

Sunwing issued its news release shortly after Air Transat said it would stop offering service out of the city and Regina. Air Transat declined an interview request but spokeswoman Debbie Cabana provided a written statement.

“We are currently in a transition period related to our fleet reconfiguration. This, combined with certain decisions of a commercial nature, has prompted us to make adjustments to our flight programs,” Cabana wrote.

The situation in Regina is identical to Saskatoon, and Sunwing confirmed that it will continue flying out of the Queen City.

A spokeswoman for WestJet, which also flies to vacation destinations, said in an email it doesn’t comment on route additions or extra flights for competitive reasons.