The Region of Waterloo could soon approve NextJet Canada’s proposal to fly planes from Waterloo to Toronto daily.
Nextjet Canada, a Vancouver-based company, has proposed to fly planes from the Region of Waterloo International Airport to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. This proposed service could potentially be the solution the region needed in regards to the lack of transportation between itself and Toronto. The company’s current destinations include Kitchener, Peterborough, Gatineau and Montreal.
When asked about the reason his company wants to fly from Kitchener-Waterloo, NextJet Canada’s president Tan Ahmed replied, “This project is demand- and niche-driven, and there is a need of a service that can bring people to and from Toronto faster than the available transportation services.” Currently, residents in the area have access to Greyhound and GO bus services to commute to Toronto for various purposes. These options force riders to have to commute around two hours in order to reach their destination. There have been many complaints over the years regarding the lack of two-way GO train service during the weekdays, and the lack of any two-way GO train service on weekends.
The daily flights planned by NextJet Canada could end commuting woes for some KW residents who want to get to downtown Toronto in a hurry. “The flights would be, on average, 20 to 25 minutes,” Ahmed said.
However, the convenience of these flights does come at a much steeper cost than the currently available bus services. “We are targeting to stay under $100 one way,” Ahmed said when asked what the expected cost of a flight from Waterloo to Toronto will be. The company’s first flight left Region of Waterloo International Airport May 30 to Gatineau. The flight featured nine seats, and a stopover at Peterbrough. The cost, for a one-way ticket to Peterbrough, with taxes, came to a total of $99.99. For Gatineau, the cost was higher totalling $285.07, while the cost for a flight to Montreal was $315.72.
