Lynx Air, legally incorporated as 1263343 Alberta Inc.,[2] was a Canadian ultra-low-cost carrier based in Calgary, Alberta. It previously operated as Enerjet and was rebranded as Lynx Air on November 16, 2021. The first flight under the Lynx Air name took place on April 7, 2022, operating from Calgary International Airport to Vancouver International Airport.
On February 22, 2024, the airline announced it had entered creditor protection and ceased operations on February 26, 2024, at 12:00 AM Mountain Time.
History
Enerjet
Enerjet was originally formed in 2006 by a small group of entrepreneurs addressing what they perceived to be a gap in the service provided by Canada's major airlines, WestJet and Air Canada in "middle Canada".[3]
It was initially known as New Air & Tours until October 20, 2008, when New Air & Tours revealed its name and corporate logo to be styled as Enerjet.
By 2012, the airline was still seeking investment to expand into scheduled LCC operations, and had operated some flights between Calgary and Vancouver during peak holiday travel periods, with plans to expand the services to Kelowna and Edmonton.[8] In 2015, Enerjet signed an agreement to acquire 46 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, 40 purchased and 6 leased.[9] By 2016, the airline had gone through two tentative names for its LCC project, consisting of Jet Naked and FlyToo.[10] In late 2018, the airline announced it had attracted investors in order to transition from chartered flights to scheduled operations, one of which included American private equity firm Indigo Partners, which had notably invested in other LCCs including Frontier Airlines, JetSmart, Volaris, and Wizz Air, and Enerjet subsequently planned to relaunch as an LCC during 2019.[11] The launch of the airline was delayed due to the Boeing 737 MAX groundings and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial air transport.[9]
Lynx Air
On November 16, 2021, the company revealed its new name as Lynx Air, with plans to begin flying in the first quarter of 2022.[12] During the announcement, the airline made commitments for up to 46 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft over the next seven years to meet the anticipated demand, with deliveries starting in early 2022, and that it would follow the low-cost carrier model for its operations.[13] The airline additionally announced it would initially operate domestic routes with plans to add international destinations later.On April 7, 2022, Lynx Air's first flights launched.[14] The airline announced its first international destinations on September 28, 2022, with flights to the United States beginning in early 2023.
On February 22, 2024, Lynx filed for creditor protection from the Court of King's Bench of Alberta and announced it would cease operations on February 26 due to financial issues,[15][16] citing escalating costs and increased airport fees as contributing factors.[17][18]
Management
Merren McArthur was the airline's president and chief executive officer (CEO). She announced her departure in June 2023, but remained in her role until September 2023 to allow the company time to find her replacement.[19] She previously served as CEO for both Tigerair Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, and founding CEO of Virgin Australia Cargo.Vijay Bathija was the airline's Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), with prior experience at Etihad Airways and Air Canada Rouge.James "Jim" Sullivan was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline, who was formerly Vice President of Flight Operations at JetBlue.[20] Mike Woodward was the airline's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), with previous experience in the Energy and Banking Sector.Mike has previously served as the CFO of Campus Energy Partners and Vice President of BMO Capital Markets.
Destinations
Lynx Air flew (or planned to fly) to the following destinations by the time of its announced shutdown in February 2024. It does not include destinations solely operated to by charter flights, such as those under its previous Enerjet name.
Fleet
Current
At the time of shutdown, Lynx Air operated the following aircraft:[41]
Previous
As Enerjet, the airline previously operated the following aircraft:[44]
Fleet development
As Enerjet, the airline operated a fleet of Boeing737-700 aircraft for its charter operations, with a single 737-800 leased from Transavia on occasion, before the 737-700s were retired by 2017.After retiring its 737-700s, Enerjet subsequently retained an inactive DHC-6 Twin Otter fleet in order to keep its AOC, while the airline underwent its subsequent transformation from chartered to scheduled operations in the coming years.When the airline eventually announced its rebranding as Lynx Air in November 2021, the airline announced that it had ordered 46 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft for delivery through 2028.[13] In March 2022, the airline announced it had leased an additional 11 737 MAX 8s from BOC Aviation.[45]
