WestJet announces direct flight between Winnipeg and Atlanta

Manitobans will soon be able to catch a direct flight from Winnipeg to the busiest airport in the world Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airportin Atlanta, Ga.

WestJet is creating a new route to Atlanta startingSept. 6that willoperate five times a week year round, John Weatherill, the executive vice-president and chief commercial officer for WestJetannounced Thursday.

"It's the best gateway in the world and now Winnipeg is connected directly to it," he said at a news conference.

"It's perhaps the greatest single injection of global connectivity in Winnipeg's history."

Atlanta is home to seven Fortune 100 companies and is a major hub for Delta Airlines, and the new flight will give Manitobans faster access to the places they do business, Weatherill added.

About 275,000 passengers pass through the Atlanta airport every dayand can travel to150 U.S. destinations plus more than 75 international destinations in 50 countries, according to the airport website.

Premier Heather Stefanson said the province is spending up to $5 million in grants over two years to make this route possible.

"It's only tapped into if there's challenges getting it off the ground, so in the first little while there might be uptake," she said in an interview after the announcement.

People who travel from Winnipeg to Atlanta will be able to go through customs locally to skip the lines in the U.S.,Weatherillsaid.

"This is a great day for Winnipeg and certainly a great day for the province of Manitoba," said Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.

He saidmore than $1 billion in goods and services flowbetween Manitoba and the southern United States.

"Of course, the greatest example of trade between our two cities was back in 2011 when we imported the Atlanta Thrashers," Gillingham joked.

"Old Thrasher fans in Atlanta can benefit from this direct route now to Winnipeg. I think it's a win-win."

Gillinghamsaid he hopes this new directflight will create an environment for economic growth and make Winnipeg a more metropolitan city.

Direct flight a boon for one business

Gerry Price, the chairman and CEO of Winnipeg-based Price Industries, saidthe flightwill address long travel times that have been a hurdle for customers of his manufacturing company.

"I can't even tell you how many trips for customers were cancelled because they couldn't get in quickly enough," Price said.

Price Industries isthe largest Canadian employer in Georgia, he said, and its U.S. office is headquartered in Georgia.

He saidhe's taken hundreds of flights to Atlanta over the years and can't wait to board a direct flight there.

"I'm so tickled, I can't even tell you," Price said.

The agreement is similar to a deal made last August that launched direct flights between Winnipeg and Los Angeles.

WestJetdidn't need any of the subsidies the province offered at that time, Stefanson said Thursday.

Weatherillsaid he believes the route to Atlanta will be even more successful than the California flight.

"We have a high level of confidence that this route will perform well," he said.

WestJet announces direct flight between Winnipeg and Atlanta

1 year ago

Duration 2:05

Manitobans will soon be able to catch a direct flight from Winnipeg to the busiest airport in the world Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Ga.