by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 7:50 AM ET, Thu August 28, 2025
Flair Airlines may feel like a newcomer in Canadian aviation, but the carrier marked its 20th anniversary on August 19.
What began as a small Kelowna-based charter airline in 2005 has grown into a low-cost carrier flying across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.
The airline, founded in 2005, began with charter flights before shifting to scheduled low-cost service in 2017, when it also moved its headquarters to Edmonton. Today, Flair operates a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to destinations across Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
RELATED: Flair Names Maciej Wilk Permanent CEO
“We’ve grown, we’ve evolved, and we’ve kept the rebellious, challenger spirit that got us off the ground in the first place,” said Maciej Wilk, CEO of Flair Airlines. “The status quo doesn’t serve Canadians. We’re here to change it, and we’re just getting started.”
Maciej Wilk has been appointed CEO at Flair Airlines (Photo Credit: Flair Airlines)
Over the past two decades, Flair has introduced several milestones, including:
2005: Launched as a charter airline in Kelowna, B.C.
2017: Began scheduled low-cost service; headquarters moved to Edmonton.
2019: Introduced a new brand design.
2021: First Boeing 737 MAX joined the fleet.
2023: Expanded operations to five countries across North America.
2024: Launched an On-Time Guarantee program.
2025: Introduced “Flair FWD,” its latest customer-focused initiative.
RELATED: ‘Momentum is Only Growing’: Flair Rounds Out C-Suite
Wilk acknowledged the challenges of the airline industry but credited the airline’s employees for its resilience.
“We’ve had 20 years of growth, change, and resilience, and the best part is, we’re still the underdog,” he said. “We’re here for the long haul, and we’re not done flipping the script on Canadian air travel.”
Context: The High Risk of Launching a Canadian Airline
Canada’s low-cost and discount airline market has been littered with failures. Since 2000 alone, at least eight discount-oriented carriers have launched—and ultimately gone under:
- Roots Air: Ceased operations after barely a month in 2001.
- Air Canada Tango: Operated from 2001 to 2004 before shutting down.
- CanJet: Started in 2000, merged into Canada 3000 in 2001, later shifted to charters before folding altogether.
- Jetsgo: From 2002 to 2005, once Canada’s third-largest airline, it abruptly entered bankruptcy protection, leaving thousands stranded.
- Zip: Air Canada’s no-frills sub, launched in 2002 and shuttered by 2004.
- Zoom Airlines: Ran from 2002 to 2008, including transatlantic routes, before filing for bankruptcy.
- Swoop: WestJet’s ULCC, debuting in 2018 and folded back into its parent in 2023.
- Lynx Air: Emerged from Enerjet, rebranded in 2021, but ultimately ceased operations in early 2024.
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