It’s not easy to make a go of it as an upstart airline in Canada. Here is a list of Canadian discount airlines, born since 2000, that no longer fly:
Roots Air – A very brief experiment by Canadian clothing retailer Roots, this short-lived airline started and ended operations in 2001, after just over a month of flying.
Air Canada Tango – This low-cost subsidiary of Air Canada operated from 2001 to 2004.
CanJet – This low-cost air carrier was headquartered in Enfield, N.S. and based at Halifax International Airport. It was launched in 2000 as a division of IMP Group and merged with Canada 3000 in May 2001 shortly before Canada 3000’s bankruptcy. It then operated as an independent airline with a number of domestic routes before switching to become a fully charter service in 2006.
Jetsgo – Launched in 2002, this Montreal-based discount carrier was Canada’s third-biggest airline when it entered bankruptcy protection in 2005. Its abrupt demise left thousands of passengers stranded at the beginning of the busy March break travel season.
Zip – launched in Calgary in 2002, Zip was a no-frills subsidiary of Air Canada, launched to offer discount service to primarily Western Canadian destinations. It ceased operations in 2004.
Zoom Airlines – This Canadian low-cost airline operated year-round scheduled services to Europe, but ceased all operations and filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008.
Swoop – this “ultra-low-cost” carrier was owned by WestJet and launched in 2018. It was integrated into WestJet’s mainline operation in October 2023.
Lynx – based in Calgary, this Calgary-based low-cost carrier previously operated as Enerjet and was rebranded as Lynx Air in November of 2021. It filed for creditor protection last week, citing financial pressures, and ceased operations as of Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2024.
