Hamilton International Airport announces WestJet flights to Vegas.

Wednesday 17th August 2011

Hamilton International Airport has announced that Canadian airline WestJet will be introducing new non-stop flights to Las Vegas in September this year. The first flights will depart on 9 September 2011 and will continue through to 28 November 2011. The schedule will fly Fridays and Mondays making the route an attractive option for mid-week breaks or weekend getaways to the entertainment capital of the world.

The flight schedule is:

Hamilton (YHM) to Las Vegas (LAS), Friday Departing 18.00, Arrive 19.39 Las Vegas (LAS) to Hamilton (YHM) Monday, Departing 09.45, Arrive 17.05 Local time are shown.

The route will be operated by a Boeing 737-700 with capacity for up to 136 passengers and a flying time between the two cities of an average four and a half hours. Fares start from CAD$169 each way on the all economy seat aircraft. Tickets are now available through the WestJet website, www.westjet.com or through travel professionals.

"This new route is a great example of the airline and airport working together to bring one of the most requested US destinations to Hamilton International. We are pleased WestJet is demonstrating continued confidence in Hamilton by adding these flights and it further supports the work we have undertaken to bring more passenger services to the airport.

It also reflects the airport's continued commitment to meet the needs of our catchment and serve as a regional economic driver for the future," said Karen Medweth, Director of Air Service Development & Marketing at the Airport. "Las Vegas is such a great vacation spot, we think this destination will be very popular and we're very excited that it's now available."

"As we prepare for the annual fall transition of our fleet we had a window of additional flying time over an 11-week period. The people of the greater Hamilton area have always supported WestJet and we wanted to thank them by testing the feasibility of service to Las Vegas." commented John MacLeod, WestJet Vice-President, Network Management and Alliances.

WestJet has been operating from Hamilton International Airport since 2000. Currently WestJet's May to October summer schedule features daily flights to Moncton, Halifax, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. Calgary is also served up to three times a day and offers many connections via the WestJet hub to other North American destinations. In the winter, WestJet's schedule features flights to Calgary, Cancun, Punta Cana and Orlando.

About Hamilton International Airport:

Hamilton International Airport sits in a prime location just 52 miles from downtown Toronto and 54 miles from Niagara and the US border, giving it an extensive passenger catchment area and excellent access to Eastern Canada and US networks for cargo distribution.

Significant investment of $163m has been made into the infrastructure at Hamilton International since 1996. Projects have included an extension of Runway 06/24 to 10,000ft to accommodate wide-body aircraft up to 747-400s. CAT II ILS was installed to increase accessibility and reliability in inclement weather and the laying of asphalt overlay on two taxiways to extend their useful lives.

Hamilton International Airport is working in close conjunction with the City of Hamilton to develop a designated area of land - the Airport Employment Growth District (AEGD) - which will provide 830m2 for development of hybrid prestige and light industrial businesses. Anchor tenants are likely to be those that will most benefit from the close proximity to the Airport.

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