Lynx Air-Cedar Herald Index

Lynx Air, legally incorporated as 1263343 Alberta Inc., is 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.

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". 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. Enerjet was founded by nine individuals, including Tim Morgan, the former senior vice president of WestJet. On November 28, 2008, Enerjet received an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) and Air Operators License issued by the Canadian Transportation Agency. While the airline initially planned to launch as a scheduled low-cost carrier (LCC), the airline focused instead on charter operations involving the transport of employees of oil companies, such as for Suncor Energy, as well as ad-hoc charter services for Air Transat, deeming the leisure travel market to be competitive following the collapse of Zoom Airlines, as well as the presence of leisure carriers such as WestJet.

Lynx Air

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. By 2016, the airline had gone through two tentative names for its LCC project, consisting of Jet Naked and FlyToo. In late 2018, the airline announced it had attracted investors in order to transition from chartered flights to scheduled operations, one of which included 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.

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. 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. The airline additionally announced it would initially operate domestic routes with plans to later add international destinations. On April 7, 2022, Lynx Air's first flights launched. The airline announced its first international destinations on September 28, 2022, with flights to the United States beginning in early 2023.

Lynx Air

Management

Merren McArthur was the airline's president and chief executive officer (CEO). She announced her departure in June 2023 but would remain in her role until September 2023 to allow the company time to find her replacement. She previously served as CEO for both Tigerair Australia and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, and founding CEO of Virgin Australia Cargo.

Vijay Bathija is the airline's Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), with prior experience at Etihad Airways and Air Canada Rouge.

James (Jim) Sullivan is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline. He formerly held the position of Vice President of Flight Operations at JetBlue and boasts more than 30 years of experience in airline operations.

Mike Woodward is 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.