Throwback Thursday: Europe Airpost Offers Transatlantic Connections to Halifax 

This week we’re looking at a story we released on December 11, 2013 about Europe Airpost announcing a series of return flights from Halifax Stanfield International Airport to France and the UK during summer 2014.

You can read the original story here: Europe Airpost Offers Transatlantic Connections to Halifax

Following a five year hiatus between Glasgow and Halifax, the French cargo airline planned to operate on a Paris – Glasgow – Halifax – Glasgow – Paris routing. The airline planned to operate a weekly service between July 4, 2014 and August 29, 2014 using Boeing 737-700 aircraft configured in a two-class layout.

“The launch of this new route meets Europe Airpost strategy of diversification with the operation of a series of scheduled flights. The Boeing 737-700 aircraft of the company perfectly suits the needs of a summer transatlantic connection between Halifax, Glasgow and Paris,” said Jean-François Dominiak, chief executive officer, Europe Airpost.

Air links between Halifax and Europe are limited, and there is still a strong demand for a short season charter package.

For a long time, Air Canada provided the only direct scheduled link to Europe with a connection to Heathrow. Air Transat offered a seasonal operation to London Gatwick and Condor flights to Frankfurt.

Long-haul low-cost carrier Zoom Airlines operated a seasonal service on the route from 2004 until 2008, while flyglobespan also served the market during summer 2009, following Zoom’s collapse.

According to data from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), up to 6,000 annual passengers travelled on the Glasgow - Halifax route during the six summer seasons of operation.

"We are very pleased to welcome Europe Airpost to our region,” said Tom Ruth, president & chief executive officer, Halifax International Airport Authority. “Their new service to Glasgow and Paris – two very popular European destinations – takes full advantage of pent-up demand to these markets and complements our 2014 summer schedule of flights.”

A year on and where does the Halifax/Glasgow market stand?

The Europe Airpost Paris – Glasgow – Halifax route successfully completed its weekly rotations on the route (UK CAA data shows that 655 passengers flew on the Glasgow - Halifax sector), but in October 2014, WestJet announced that they would begin offering a daily non-stop service from Halifax to Glasgow. Direct flights from Toronto will also be made available, as well as connections from other WestJet cities.

The maiden journey will leave from Glasgow on May 30, 2015, and fly daily until October 24, 2015.