Flair Airlines vice president Eric Tanner was in Prince George last week to promote the airline’s direct flight from Prince George to Tucson, Arizona.
The flights, first announced in March, begin operation on Dec. 2. The seasonal service is expected to operate once each way per week, from December to March.
The discount, leisure-travel focused airline has “had some stops and starts in Prince George,” Tanner said, but is excited to return with the city’s only direct winter sunshine getaway flight.
“Why Tucson?” he said. “It is a really charming, wonderful city. (And) Arizona has been a popular destination for Canadians for decades.”
According to information on the Flair Airlines website, flights will depart Tucson at 7:40 a.m. each Friday and arrive in Prince George by 10:45 a.m. The flight leaves Prince George at 11:45 a.m. and arrives in Tuscon at 4:50 p.m.
“It’s four hours to sunshine,” Tanner said.
Tucson is only a 90-minute drive from Phoenix, Arizona, without the headache of navigating a large airport. Flair will be the only international flight landing in Tucson, once the service launches, he added.
Flights start for as little as $100, he added. However, Flair charges additional fees for all baggage, including carry-on bags.
The company’s business model is based on keeping fares low, and filling their aircraft to 90 to 95 per cent capacity each flight, he added.
Prince George Airport Authority president and CEO Gordon Duke said that Flair has made a five-year commitment to the route.
Duke said Tucson isn’t a major tourist destination yet, but he thinks there is a growing market for the destination. Duke travelled to the city, and said Tucson has world-class golf courses and award-winning restaurants.
“It’s going to to be warm and dry, and there is lots to do,” Duke said. “You can leave Prince George in the morning and have dinner in Tucson – great tacos.”
