WestJet bringing more international and domestic flights to Sask. this winter

Travellers in Regina and Saskatoon will soon have a bigger pool of flights to pick from.

WestJet announced this week that it is increasing the frequency of some domestic and international flights this winter atthe Saskatchewan's two largest airports.

James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina Airport Authority, said the announcement is "nothing short of incredible."

"This means more choice, more opportunities to fly to the cities they are going to in Canada," he said. "And this is on top of a nice slate of sun destinations WestJet is bringing back."

WestJet said the new flights represent a 27 per cent increase for Saskatoon and Regina compared to last year.

It's part of a larger expansion by the airline this winter, including what its describing as a "48 per cent increase in intercontinentalcapacity" at Canadian airports.

Along withmore flights to destinations like Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, the announcement also promises to substantially increase Regina and Saskatoon's connections withmajor Canadian cities over the winter months.

That too is part of a bigger move by WestJet to offer more flights inside of Canada compared to last winter, particularly from hubs like Winnipeg and Edmonton, as well as Regina and Saskatoon.

This runs counter to the trend a year ago, when statistics showed a noticeable decline in available tickets for flights within Canada compared to pre-pandemic, regardless of airline.

For the first time, Regina will have daily service to Vancouver all winter long. Saskatoon will also have daily service to Vancouver.

Daily flights to Toronto will also return for both Regina and Saskatoon, along with 10 weekly flights to Edmonton from Regina and nine weekly flights for Saskatoon.

You can read the complete release outlining the new flights here.

Though Regina's airport still isn't quite as busy as it was before the pandemic, Bogusz said the increased number of flights represents a "pent up demand" for travel.

He said theextra capacity will also help protect travellers in the event of disruptions or cancellations by allowing them to get placed on a backup flight more quickly.

Saskatoon's airport authority declined to comment, but sent the CBC a statement saying that it was"excited see WestJet's increased flight frequencies for the upcoming winter season, which will provide our community with greater connectivity and convenience."

WestJet recently made headlines after tens of thousands of passengers were affected by a surprise strike by the airline's mechanics.