Bearskin plans U.S. route as Delta departs

As Delta Airlines prepares to depart from the city’s airport, Bearskin officials say they hope to fill the void and add commercial flights to Minneapolis.

Cliff Friesen, executive vice-president of Bearskin Airlines, confirmed the company has begun a process to take over the southbound routes that Delta is getting set to abandon Oct 10. Bearskin hopes to develop a partnership with Delta, which would see Bearskin send flights to and from Minneapolis with passengers having the option to connect to Delta flights as needed.

"We are currently in discussions with Delta as it relates to the possibility of working with them on joint fares," Friesen told Dougall Media reporters Wednesday morning at Bearskin’s administrative offices on Walsh Street.

"That’s what we need to operate between here and into Minneapolis, simply because the destination for most people is beyond Minneapolis whether it is to Florida, California, Vegas for Phoenix."

The vice-president said he is confident that the first step of that process – getting the proper licencing from the Canadian Transport Commission – will go smoothly.

If everything goes according to plan Bearskin Airlines could add about half-a-dozen or more full-time equivalent positions to its operations.

The route could also give Bearskin an opportunity to fly as many as two or three, 19-passenger planes between Thunder Bay and the U.S. daily. But Friesen admits it’s an estimate and that it is too early to confirm exactly how many planes might fly an American route.

Flights across the border wouldn’t be new territory for Bearskin. The airline flew into the U.S. about 15 years ago, but those services were axed after Northwest Airlines put in its own connecting carrier from the U.S., which eliminated the opportunity for Bearskin to have joint fares with that carrier.

"It was viable at (15 years ago)," Friesen said. "But you do need a relationship with another carrier. This is an opportunity for us and we want to take advantage of it."

Bearskin officials hope to schedule a meeting with Delta Airlines to continue talking about the possible joint fares. Friesen said he hopes those meetings happen soon, but added that scheduling can be difficult during the summer months.

"Once we can get that (meeting), we will certainly do it and we hope that it’s sooner rather than later," Friesen said.

Bearskin’s goal is to begin servicing flights into the U.S. on the same day Delta discontinues its Thunder Bay services – Oct. 10.

Delta Airlines’ communications department was contacted, but officials were not available for comment.