WestJet came back to Sudbury on June 12.
The Calgary-based airline is now offering twice-weekly direct flights from Sudbury to Calgary, allowing passengers to bypass the hustle, bustle and grind of Toronto's Pearson International Airport.
The first flight of the new service landed at the Greater Sudbury airport at about 2:20 p.m. Thursday with what appeared to be a full load in the Boeing 737-700 aircraft, a jet that carries 134 passengers.
Michael Perkins, WestJet's senior manager of airport affairs, spoke briefly to a welcoming crowd at the airport with a sad acknowledgement of the Air India passenger jet that crashed shortly after take off Thursday morning in Ahmedabad, in western India.
"We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the aviation industry," said Perkins. He added that the crash was a solemn reminder of the critical importance of safety in the airline business.
That said, Perkins said WestJet was thrilled to be back in Sudbury with the first-ever direct flight connecting Sudbury with Calgary.
"This route will provide critical air access to residents of Sudbury and will stimulate local tourism across Northern Ontario. WestJet is proud to be returning to Sudbury for the first time since 2019 with the first ever direct air link between your beautiful city and Alberta," he said.
This means Sudbury will now be able to access more than 70 additional destinations with one seamless connection through WestJet's global hub in Calgary, including popular destinations in Canada, U.S., Mexico, Caribbean, Europe and Asia, he said. WestJet previously offered a Sudbury to Toronto commuter air service but that was stopped late in 2018 due to weak demand, according to news reports of the day.
The new service that began Thursday was endorsed by Greater Sudbury mayor Paul Lefebvre who told the audience he was pleased to see WestJet return to the city and he offered a welcome to all the newly arriving passengers.
"Whether you're here for business, family or the first of many adventures in our beautiful city, we're thrilled to have you here," said Lefebvre.
The mayor praised airport CEO Giovanna Verilli for her leadership in having WestJet bring a new service to the city.
In her comments to the welcome event, Verrilli said she was pleased that the service will operate every Thursday and Sunday, until Oct. 19. She said it will be good for business and tourism.
"We're supporting local business, local investment, and we're making it easier for people to travel," said Virilli.
"And we're making it easier for people to travel to and from our region. To our WestJet partners, thank you for believing in this market and for investing in this region. We know that WestJet is a huge supporter of regional connectivity, and we are so proud to be part of their growing market. We look forward to building a strong and lasting partnership," she said.
As part of the arrival ceremony, the WestJet Boeing 737 was greeted at the airport apron by airport firetrucks that carried out an aviation tradition by providing a water salute with the firehoses creating huge arcs of water over the plane.
Another special moment today was the fact the inaugural flight was piloted by WestJet captain — and former Sudburian — Sherri (Spencer) Stringer. Once all the passengers had deplaned Stringer was able to leave the cockpit to meet her mother, Sally Spencer, her father, Larry Spencer (who introduced his daughter to piloting), and her younger sister, Christine Spencer, who were pleased to be part of the inaugural flight ceremonies.
Sudbury.com featured Stringer in a story earlier this week. You can read that here.
Len Gillis is a reporter at Sudbury.com.
