Swoop, the ultralow-cost subsidiary of Canada's WestJet, has
now begun all but one of its eight scheduled U.S. routes following launch
delays related to regulatory approvals.
The final route, between Fort Lauderdale and Hamilton,
Ontario, is now scheduled to start Friday.
Over the weekend, Swoop began flying from Edmonton to
Phoenix Mesa and Las Vegas; from Hamilton to Orlando, Tampa Bay and Las Vegas;
and from Abbotsford, British Columbia to Las Vegas.
With the exception of Edmonton-Phoenix, each of those routes
had been originally slated for launch dates between Oct. 11 and Oct. 26.
However, Swoop was forced to delay the launches as it awaited operating
approval from the FAA. The carrier was able to launch its 11-times-weekly
Edmonton-Las Vegas service as scheduled on Oct. 11 under WestJet's operating
license.
Swoop will fly its seven other routes two to four times per
week.
Overall, the licensing delay led to 24 Swoop flight
cancellations to the U.S., the carrier said.
"We were able to successfully rebook the vast majority
of our travelers on alternate flights, and where alternate flights were
unavailable we provided full refunds and compensation to aid in rebooking
independently," Swoop president Steven Greenway said in an emailed
statement.
"Again, we apologize to those who were affected and
would like to reassure travelers booked on upcoming flights that everything is
in order to proceed as planned."