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This article was published 18/10/2016 (1436 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Only a few months after its initial takeoff, ultra low-cost airline NewLeaf Travel Co. is already busy tweaking its schedule, adding and deleting destinations.

Launching from its base at Winnipeg’s Richardson International Airport, NewLeaf’s original routes included secondary markets Kamloops, Moncton, Hamilton and Abbotsford as well as Winnipeg, Edmonton and Victoria.

On Monday, it started flights into Calgary — on a temporary basis from Dec. 16 to Jan. 8 — and hinted at adding sun destinations in time for this year’s winter getaway season.

Adding Calgary brings the number of Canadian destinations it flies into to 12.

NewLeaf is the sales and marketing company with its partner, Kelowna-based Flair Airlines, operating the aircraft.

"We actually didn’t anticipate to be operating from Calgary within the first five months of operation, however there is a big demand from Calgarians. So, we are thrilled to provide southern Albertans with low fares for the holiday season," said Jim Young, NewLeaf president and CEO.

Company spokeswoman Julie Rempel said the decision to get into the Calgary market so quickly was at least partly opportunistic.

"It worked out both from a market standpoint and (because of) the availability of aircraft, so we decided to do it earlier," she said.

But next month, NewLeaf’s roster of destinations is likely to decline by two. Rempel said NewLeaf is rethinking its two Saskatchewan destinations and will suspend flights to and from Regina and Saskatoon at least throughout November.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Jim Young, NewLeaf president and CEO, said demand from Calgarians has been surprising.

It has also dropped some other routes, including Winnipeg to Victoria.

Rempel said there are plans in the works to get the Saskatchewan destinations back onto NewLeaf’s route map, and she hinted there will be some warm winter destinations in the works.

"We’re coming up with some announcements that will put some toes in the sand," she said.

As for Saskatchewan, she said efforts are being made to figure out routes that make sense for the operation’s 737 jet service.

Currently, the only destinations for travellers flying out of Regina or Saskatoon are Hamilton and Kelowna.

"Saskatchewan is a wonderful market and the people there are so fantastic, Rempel said. "We are trying to figure out the best Canadian route for them that they will want to travel to. We have not turned our backs on them."

NewLeaf now has four planes working its routes and Rempel said the company has had great support from the travelling public.

However, it is still dealing with professional airline agitator and former University of Manitoba mathematics professor, Gábor Lukács.

Lukács originally filed a claim against NewLeaf taking exception to the manner in which it partnered with Flair. NewLeaf relies on Flair’s operating certificate with the Canadian Transportation Agency. That process delayed NewLeaf’s inaugural flights by several months. In March, the CTA ruled in NewLeaf’s favour but Lukács appealed the ruling.

That appeal is scheduled to be heard by the Federal Court of Appeal in December.

In the meantime, NewLeaf has sued Lukács over Twitter and Facebook posts it argues were designed to harm the company’s reputation and discourage potential customers.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca