Westjet adds flights for playoff series

Direct Winnipeg-to-mccarran route expanded for Knights-jets matchup

Winnipeg Jets fans are going to get a few more options to fly into Las Vegas next week during the best-of-seven Western Conference final matchup against the Golden Knights.

Canadian carrier Westjet is adding two nonstop, roundtrip flights between Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson Airport and Mccarran International Airport on May 17 and 20 in hopes that Jets fans will flood T-mobile Arena.

Of course, there’s no one stopping Golden Knights fans from hopping aboard a plane to return the favor in Winnipeg.

“We look forward to flying the spirit of Canadian hockey to Las Vegas and welcoming fans on board our jets for a convenient nonstop flight,” John Weatherill, a Westjet vice president, said in a news release.

Canada is the No. 1 source of international visitors to

Sin City, drawing 1.44 million travelers in 2016, according to the latest figures provided by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Westjet already flies nonstop between Winnipeg and Las Vegas on Sundays and Thursdays, airline spokesman Morgan Bell said.

“Westjet flies nearly onethird of all international passengers to Mccarran International Airport, which is more than any other carrier,” Bell said, adding that the carrier serves Las Vegas from airports in seven other Canadian cities.