Despite strong passenger numbers, Sunwing pulls out of Sault Airport

Sunwing Airlines pulls out of Sault Airport Sault Airport CEO says he is disappointed that Sunwing will not be offering flights out of the city this winter.

Travellers in and around Sault Ste. Marie looking to book their winter getaway this year will have one fewer option. After pulling out of Sudbury and North Bay earlier this year, Sunwing Airlines likely won’t be offering direct flights out of the Sault’s airport this winter.

Although no official word has come down from Sunwing, or parent company WestJet, Sault Airport CEO Terry Bos said Tuesday that the writing is on the wall.

"I'd say it's a pretty safe assumption that Sunwing won't be returning for this winter season,” Bos said, pointing out that the Sault has been quietly removed from Sunwing’s website as a departure city.

Bos said passenger numbers were strong out of the Sault, so it isn’t a lack of business that’s behind the decision.

"We were actually filling the plane, 150-160 passengers,” he said.

“We put on a really strong performance. We were attracting people up here from southern Ontario, London, Windsor, other areas, to take this Cuba flight via Sunwing. So, we thought with our really strong performance and the way our market responded that we would be getting them back again this year. So, it's very disappointing to find out that we're not going to be getting them."

John Gradek, an industry analyst at McGill University, said the trend of airlines pulling out of regional airports is a result of the chaotic scene that played out in airports in Summer 2022 and the following Christmas travel season.

"This is a move by the airlines to kind of hedge their bets for winter 2023-24 by saying we will not overextend ourselves,” he said.

Meantime, Bos said Sunwing pulling out of the Sault is cause for concern as passenger totals have been dropping for the first time since the pandemic recovery began.

"Without Sunwing for the winter season and knowing we were attracting people from outside of Sault Ste. Marie that we won't attract now, obviously, we're probably looking at a winter that's not going to be as strong as it was last year either,” he said.