New low cost airline in Hamilton

The Hamilton International Airport has a new low cost airline called Swoop.

WestJet is its parent company and Swoop will be taking off tomorrow morning on it’s inaugural flight to Abbotsford, B.C.

“The average fair that the passengers have paid for our flight to Abbotsford tomorrow, which is 5 hours, is about $103 from memory off the top of my head so I don’t think you’ll find that deal anywhere else.” Steven Greenway, Swoop CEO.

Swoop is starting off with two aircraft in its fleet, they will have 6 planes by the end of this year and a total of 10 by the middle of next year.

Swoop’s CEO says they can keep the flights cheap by flying the planes often, 15 hours a day and by providing passengers the option to pick and choose what they need and want. Like other low cost airlines, you’ll have to pay extra if you want to check a bag or eat something during your flight.

A new airline means more jobs locally as well. Swoop says by the end of this year they will have hired 200 employees in the city.

Swoop will start by offering flights to Abbotsford, Halifax, Edmonton and Winnipeg and hope to soon be announcing flights to the U.S. and Mexico.