Airlines guaranteed exclusive routes, as long as they depart from YKF

Waterloo regional council is offering airlines anexclusive deal to lock in chosendestinations for a period of two years if they agree to fly out of the Region of Waterloo International Airport.

The initiative is intended to entice passenger airlines to the airport, which has had a history of losing scheduled flights to places like Ottawa and Orlando.

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Just two destinations remain for travel out of YKF: Westjet's daily flights to Calgary and Sunwing's once-weekly seasonal service to Punta Cana.

If you want to start a new flight from our airport, we'll give you up to two years exclusive rights to that route.- Tom Galloway, planning and works committee, Region of Waterloo

But Tom Galloway, chair of the region's planning and works committee, said the exclusive offer would make the airport more attractive.

"It has happened at other airports where a new, start-up airline will start a low cost flight to a particular destination and then, immediately upon that announcement, one of the existing airlines will do the same thing and essentially run them out of business," he said.

Exclusive right lasts 24 months

By giving airlines the exclusive right to fly to any destination from the Waterloo airport for 24 months, the region is protecting airlines from that kind of competition.

"We're offering it to everybody," Galloway said. "Existing airlines, new airlines, small, large or medium-sized airlines. If you want to start a new flight from our airport, we'll give you up to two years exclusive rights to that route."

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In order to benefit from the perk, airlines will have to submit a proposal, and Galloway said preference will be given to proposals that provide the most benefit to the region.

According to a staff report, the evaluation process will favour "proposals for multiple routes, basing aircraft at YKF, and establishing headquarters, maintenance and repair operations and/or other corporate functions such as training and call centre activities in the Waterloo Region."

Airlines will have an opportunity to submit their proposals between October 2017 and January 2018. After that, Galloway said proposals could be submitted on an "ad hoc" basis.