NewLeaf Travel which was gearing up to start taking off out of Hamilton with bargain rates is temporarily postponing ticket sales as they await a Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) review of licensing regulations. They now say they are planning to resume taking reservations in the spring.
In a statement late Monday afternoon, the Winnipeg-based carrier with destinations to seven secondary Canadian cities on its route map, said it would refund all bookings within 72 hours. Its first scheduled flight was supposed to take place on Feb. 12.
“During this uncertain time, we didn’t want to put anyone with existing bookings at risk, and we wanted to give customers time to make other travel arrangements,” said NewLeaf chief executive officer Jim Young in a statement, saying that “thousands” of customers had already reserved seats.
The CTA is reviewing whether indirect air service providers, or those who do not operate any aircraft but market and sell air services to the public, should be required to hold agency licences.
NewLeaf says the review applies to all companies operating in this manner and is not limited to NewLeaf’s partnership with Kelowna, B.C.-based Flair Airlines Ltd.
Some skeptics do not think the new airline will get off the ground at all, however other airline industry consultants say they see NewLeaf’s move as a temporary setback and dismisses any concerns that consumers will be reluctant to book again with NewLeaf in the future.
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