Chicago is our kind of town… Denver, too United Airlines resuming service to Illinois, Colorado hubs music to the ears of Winnipeg’s business community By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 5:37 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024

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This article was published 25/01/2024 (649 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s reunion with two lost direct flights — to Chicago and Denver — is being heralded as a boon for Manitoba’s economy.

United Airlines announced its resumption of daily, non-stop direct flights to the cities — each a major hub for the airline — Thursday morning. Flights will resume May 23.

“This has been one of our top priorities,” said Nick Hays, president of the Winnipeg Airports Authority.

It became a top priority after United Airlines paused the two routes in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chicago is a “critical market” for trade, investment and tourism, noted Ryan Kuffner, president of Economic Development Winnipeg.

The economic development agency calculated the number of Manitoba companies with subsidiaries in the United States, and American businesses with Manitoba presences. Illinois had the most connections with the Canadian province, Kuffner said.

Denver — where more than 69 million passengers passed through the airport in 2022 and was the world’s third busiest airport that year — was among the top destinations Manitoba’s business community called for, a 2023 survey by Economic Development Winnipeg and the WAA show.

“Because of the trade and investment relationships that exist between those different states and Manitoba… this is going to lead to economic outcomes that will be powerful,” Kuffner stated.

He believes Manitoba lost investment opportunities and tourists during the direct flights’ absences.

“Because of the trade and investment relationships that exist between those different states and Manitoba… this is going to lead to economic outcomes that will be powerful.”–Ryan Kuffner

“The economy doesn’t flow without connectivity,” Kuffner added.

A weekend roundtrip to Chicago from May 23 to 26 cost $387 pre-tax, United Airlines’ website showed Thursday.

For one Winnipeg company, the Chicago route will save time and money and help attract clients. Tech company Conviron was bought by a Chicago-based corporation in 2022 and staff travel to the U.S. frequently.

“Winnipeg is central, yes… (but) we’ve been logistically disadvantaged,” said John Proven, Conviron’s chief executive. “You take away a significant logistical disadvantage, and that really opens up the world.”

Proven believes the routes will attract clients to Winnipeg because of the convenience, including time and cost savings.

Canada Life echoed Proven: the direct flight will “build connectivity and learning” between its headquarters in Winnipeg and Denver, a spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Manitoba’s fly-in hunting and fishing community expressed happiness — much of its business comes from midwestern American states.

“To get to Winnipeg was a chore,” said Gab-Riel Turenne, owner of Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge (which is roughly 128 km northeast of Winnipeg).

“To get to Winnipeg was a chore.”–Gab-Riel Turenne

Over the past two years, he’s had customers travel from the United States through Calgary or Toronto to Winnipeg. Some jet to Grand Forks and take a rental car north. One took a rideshare from Minneapolis to Winnipeg to ensure they reached the city on time, Turenne said.

“That lack of connectivity was really holding our industry back,” he added.

Before the pandemic, a majority of Manitoba lodge and outfitter customers were American. Lately, roughly 60 per cent of customers are Canadian, but southern clients have been returning, according to the industry’s association.

Turenne said Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge broke customer records in 2022 and 2023 after a drought in 2020 and 2021 — revenge travel.

The returning flights to Chicago and Denver “can only help” with business, he relayed.

“There should be a really good spike (in customers) coming up here,” said Don Lamont, the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association’s executive director.

He called the direct flights to Chicago and Denver “something we desperately needed.”

Manitoba’s fishing and hunting sector generated $412 million in gross domestic product and $96 million in provincial taxes in 2019, according to Travel Manitoba data.

“Chicago and Denver were (routes) that we were really wanting to get back, and as soon as possible,” said Colin Ferguson, Travel Manitoba’s president.

“Chicago and Denver were (routes) that we were really wanting to get back, and as soon as possible.” –Colin Ferguson

A big reason was to boost the province’s hunting and fishing sector, he explained. The flights will begin before fishing season.

Chicago and Denver are both major connectors, he added. The Chicago O’Hare International Airport was named the world’s best-connected airport in the Official Aviation Guide’s 2022 megahub connectivity index.

More international travellers may visit Churchill or organize conventions in Winnipeg, Ferguson said.

The direct flights do make Winnipeg more competitive, acknowledged Drew Fisher, president of the RBC Convention Centre.

Canada is a hub for United States associations because of, in part, the rates — the Chicago and Denver routes will help draw business to Winnipeg, Fisher stated.

He noted the number of new arrivals to Winnipeg’s airport, including Porter, a Toronto-based company expanding its operations in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg now has more year-round, non-stop flights to the United States than it did pre-pandemic.

In 2022 — as a pandemic-recovery effort — the province shelled out $4.8 million to the WAA to improve direct flight connectivity. The following year, it announced a further $5 million.

Funding from the $50-million Pandemic Long-Term Recovery Fund administered by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is also being used to help re-establish routes.

However, none of that money was used to reconnect with Chicago and Denver, both WAA president Hays and a government spokesperson said.

A United spokeswoman called Winnipeg one of the “unique destinations” the airliner’s customers want to visit.

Winnipeg Richardson International Airport hit a new visitor milestone last year (since the pandemic’s inception).

Final numbers will be released soon, but the passenger count surpassed four million — one million more people than the year prior, Hays said.

During 2023, WestJet unveiled a direct flight to Atlanta, and Porter began to populate Winnipeg’s airport. In 2022, WestJet launched a direct flight to Los Angeles.

“We saw strong, rapid growth in the past few years,” Hays said, adding Chicago and Denver will “add a boost.”

He anticipates “more of a consolidation year” in 2024 due to supply chain issues — like engine backlogs — and staff shortages throughout the industry.

Even so, the WAA remains constantly in talks about further direct flight routes, Hays noted.

Winnipeg’s direct routes to Chicago and Denver are just two of more than 100 flights United Airlines announced Thursday.

Winnipeg also has direct, year-round flights to Minneapolis and Las Vegas.

– With files from Martin Cash

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com