Edmonton Airports Welcomes Chicago Service

EDMONTON – Edmonton Airports Chairman of the Board Sid Hanson, and President Scott Clements, today congratulated Canadian Airlines on the announcement of daily non-stop service between Edmonton and Chicago.

Canadian Airlines has announced that, effective April 4, they will offer one daily flight from Edmonton to Chicago in the morning and a return flight from Chicago in the afternoon.

“This is very good news,” said Hanson. “It is a very significant step for Edmonton and for our air service goals. Canadian is the largest carrier serving the Edmonton market, but this is their first non-stop flight from Edmonton to the United States under the Open Skies Agreement. We are absolutely delighted they have chosen to invest in our community at this time, and I urge Edmontonians to support their decision whenever your travel plans take you to Chicago or destinations that connect through Chicago.

“It is a breakthrough for Edmonton in that both major Canadian carriers now offer transborder service from Edmonton,” Hanson continued. “Canadian’s investment is also an important signal that our air service market is going to continue to grow, as we’ve been predicting, which underlines the need to proceed with plans to expand and renovate the International Airport.”

“Our goal for transborder service, as stated in 1995, is five U.S. hub cities. We now have service to four. We are very close to achieving optimal air service,” concluded Hanson.

Chicago will be Edmonton’s fourth non-stop U.S. hub destination. Effective April 5, non-stop service will be available to the U.S. through Seattle (Horizon Air twice daily), Denver (Air BC/Air Canada twice daily), Minneapolis (Northwest twice daily) and Chicago (Canadian once daily).

“Importantly, those four hubs are excellent connecting airports, and the timing of the flights from Edmonton allows for quick and seamless travel from Edmonton to most major destinations in the U.S.,” said Clements. “With four carriers, travellers now have an excellent choice of airline and routing. Having choices is also an important part of providing an optimal level of service.

“Utilizing Edmonton’s pre-clearance facility, travellers can check their bags through to their final U.S. destination, and also avoid long customs/immigration lineups in the connecting city. This is an excellent level of service to the U.S., and very close to what we’ve been trying to achieve for three years,” Clements concluded.