Flair Airlines has been cleared to continue its attempt to disrupt the budget airline market in Canada after the Canadian Transportation Agency ruled it’s Canadian enough. The CTA announced last week that Flair’s recent shuffling of board and organizational structure was enough to make it a Canadian entity. Canadian-registered airlines must be 51 percent owned by Canadians and Canadians must have the final say in operations. “It’s a fantastic day for team Flair,” CEO Stephen Jones told a news conference. “‘The question has been answered. Flair is Canadian.”
In early March, the CTA told Flair it believed its financial backers, Miami-based 777 partners had effective control of the airline since it owned all its aircraft and its representatives on the board of directors had special rights. The company restructured the board and management and proved that the airline was financially independent and that was enough for the CTA. To celebrate the decision, the airline held a snap fare sale, offering 50 percent off base fares on its routes.