FLYGTA has commenced a high-speed travel route between the Region of Waterloo International Airport and the Billy Bishop Toronto Airport.
The flights take just under 20 minutes to get passengers from Waterloo to Toronto. The flight will be beneficial for those who are looking to bypass the gridlock traffic on the Greater Toronto Area’s highways caused by construction activities.
The airline company launched their first flight on the twin-engine aircraft this past Monday, Nov. 6.
The flights are 129 dollars each way, all fees and taxes included. Flights run twice-daily, Monday through Friday, once in the morning and once in the evening. Currently, flights are not being offered on the weekends.
“The eight seater, Pipe Navajo is a very quick aircraft, taking exactly 18 minutes to cover 82 kilometres,” Chris Wood, general manager at the Region of Waterloo International Airport, said.
According to The Record, these flights do not include an in-flight meal and do not feature a flight attendant.
The Waterloo Region is seeing increased business and job growth with the rapid expansion of start-up and tech companies. These flights help to serve the growing demand for quicker, more efficient travel between these booming cities.
FLYGTA offers two other flight services including Toronto to Barrie and Toronto to Niagara. The Flight from Toronto to Niagara is the shortest flight in North America at eight minutes in length.
The service is geared towards the business community and targets travelers who commute between Waterloo and Toronto on a daily basis for a more effective mode of transportation.
“That’s what we have seen this week, is business travelers going in and out for the day,” Wood said.
“It saves the hassle of facing traffic on the 401 and takes the uncertainty out of the trip. Sometimes you may be early, sometimes you may be late, you never really know.”
However, students may find these flights beneficial during time off of school, such as reading week and in-between the fall and winter semesters.
Whether it’s convenient for catching a connecting flight from Billy Bishop Airport, or reducing travel time to Toronto during regular traffic jams that occur on the 401, Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway.
“The service is also available to students, however, it may be slightly price prohibitive for that demographic,” Wood said.
FLYGTA offers two other flight services including Toronto to Barrie and Toronto to Niagara. The Flight from Toronto to Niagara is the shortest flight in North America at eight minutes in length.
“The airline has had some success serving the St. Catherines/Niagra District Airport and wanted to expand even further, now offering flights to the [Waterloo Airport] and soon to be London,” Wood said.
FLYGTA also offers several other packages, according to their website. Some packages include an aerial tour of a Niagara Winery as well as a private flight tour over Toronto. All these packages are under 300 dollars per passenger.
The Billy Bishop Toronto Airport will be providing flights to London International Airport which is estimated to begin sometime this coming December.
“It’s always good to have a new service; it’s exciting,” Wood said.