WestJet returns to Charlottetown with flight from Toronto

The noon AT arrival of a WestJet flight from Toronto to Charlottetown on Fridaymarkedthe carrier's return to P.E.I. after an absence of many months.

The return flight departed at 1 p.m. AT en route to Toronto.

In advance of the resumption of the scheduled commercial flight, airport CEO Doug Newson told CBC News that WestJet had rehired seven local employees.

"We're certainly looking forward to WestJet's return," he said Thursday."It's been a long time coming and a first sign of what we hope will be the start of air traffic recovery for P.E.I."

In another development Friday, WestJet announced a new non-stop service connecting Charlottetown and Calgary this summer. It will fly twice a week, starting July 29.

Newson said he was grateful that Air Canada had stayed with the airport throughout the pandemic with a single flight to Montreal and back,and is looking forward to the airline resuming other flights this summer.

"We're on the road to recovery and optimistic we'll have a fairly strong late summer and shoulder season. Maybe not 2019 strong, but much stronger than 2020," he said.

Flairwill start offering twice-weekly flights to Toronto in early August.

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