Canadian Ultra low cost carrier Lynx Air has announced that it will cease operations as of 0001 hours on Monday, 26th February 2024. The airline says that multiple factors have led to this decision.
Another airline down!
Lynx Air started operations just two years ago with a vision to “inspire more Canadians to fly”. The airline was like a breath of fresh air in Canada’s almost duopoly market with Air Canada and WestJet flying the major chunk of traffic.
Unfortunately, Lynx Air is now ceasing operations as of 0001 hours on Monday, 26th February 2024. The carrier says that “compounding financial pressures associated with inflation, fuel costs, exchange rates, cost of capital, regulatory costs and competitive tension in the Canadian market have ultimately proven too steep a mountain for it to overcome”.
The airline released the following statement:
Tremendous work was put into the launch, growth and expansion of Lynx Air over the past two years, offering a low-cost, seamless travel experience for Canadians, the compounding financial pressures associated with inflation, fuel costs, exchange rates, cost of capital, regulatory costs and competitive tension in the Canadian market have ultimately proven too steep a mountain for our organization to overcome.
It is with a heavy heart we announce Lynx Air’s departure from the skies. We hope in our absence that our vision to Inspire More Canadians to Fly leaves its mark on our passengers.
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Next steps
In case you have a flight scheduled on or before 25th February 2024, Lynx Air says that it will operate “majority” of its flights on these days. In case a flight is cancelled, passengers will be notified via email. For refunds, passengers will have to contact their credit card provider. Call centre at Lynx Air will not handle any queries regarding refunds.
In case you are flying the airline on or after 26th February 2024, you will have to contact your credit card provider for refund. If you have a travel voucher or flight voucher, you will not be able to redeem it once Lynx Air ceases operations. Click here to find answer to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Other airlines respond
WestJet says that it is aware about Lynx Air’s departure from the skies. It is taking a number of steps to assist Lynx Air passengers, including:
- New Bookings: 25% discount, by using discount code WESTJET, on all economy cabin fares on non-stop WestJet routes prviously served by Lynx, for travel between 22nd February 2024 and 26th October 2024, booking to be made up until 29th February 2024
- Canadian repatriation for transborder and sun: Fares are capped at $250 plus taxes and fees on all northbound economy cabin fares, on non-stop WestJet routes previously served by Lynx, for travel up until 29th February 2024, booking to be made before 29th February 2024
- All domestic fares on non-stop WestJet routes previously served by Lynx, for travel up until 29th February 2024, will not exceed $500 plus taxes and fees
For more information on how WestJet is handling this situation, click here.
Canadian national carrier Air Canada says that it will add more than 6,000 seats in select markets operated by Lynx Air. This is being done for flights within Canada, to the United States and to Cancun, Mexico. These fares will be available for purchase before 26th February 2024 for travel through 2nd April 2024 to cover the March Spring break periods across Canada and the Easter holiday period.
Air Canada is also planning to add incremental capacity of more than 6,000 seats on Lynx routes from Toronto and Montreal to Cancun, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa. Phoenixand Las Vegas between 25th February and 19th March 2024. However, with the busy winter travel holiday period underway, flights are already relatively full and the carrier’s ability to increase capacity further is limited.
Featured image by Lynx Air
Are you affected with Lynx Air’s decision to cease operations? Let me know in the comments section below.
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