[GeneTheMachine]

WestJet adds scheduled flights to Mexico from Regina

Regina Leader-Post June 4, 2009

Regina is getting scheduled — as opposed to charter — flights to destinations outside of Canada or the U.S.

They'll be going to winter destinations in Mexico and will be flown by Calgary-based WestJet.

The flights, announced Thursday, will take Reginans to and from Cancun, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas, starting in the second week of December.

The flights to each Mexican destination will operate once a week and will be in addition to charter or tour operators' packages from Regina, which tend to be announced much later in the year, said Regina airport CEO Jim Hunter.

It might seem odd for WestJet to announce winter getaway flights in June, but Hunter said there is clear business logic in its approach.

He said WestJet recently terminated a Mexico-bound business partnership with rival Air Transat. "I think that what they're doing is 'cherrypicking' what they see as some of the best routes.

"It's very, very aggressive marketing by WestJet," said Hunter, who added he expects charter operators start unveiling their winter flight plans out of Regina by the middle or end of July.

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