'It's really sad': Lynx Air passengers in Calgary react to news airline is ceasing operations

Calgary travellers who booked flights with Lynx Air were forced to make new plans and call their credit card providers for refunds following news of the airline ceasing operations.

The Calgary-based low budget airline filed for creditor protection Thursday from the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, which means it will discontinue its services as of midnight, Monday, Feb 26, with flights continuing until then.

Passenger Marc Duquette had booked a flight from Montreal to Calgary next month, but says it's now cancelled, leaving him scrambling to make new plans.

"I don’t know what’s going on," he said from the Calgary International Airport on Friday. "So now I’m here just trying to get some information and no one is here."

"What are you going to do other than just try to get your money back? If they refund me or transfer me to WestJet or something, that would work out, but I’m pretty much just scrambling to find a new flight."

Others, like Sandeep Pangar, are also disappointed by the news.

Pangar says he regularly used the airline because of its lower costs.

"It’s really sad, because whenever I’m checking for airlines, I always looked for Lynx first.

"As we look at inflation, it really helped us, because we weren’t able to travel that much, but because of the airline deals we were able to."

Passengers walk past a Lynx Air check-in counter sign at the international airport in Calgary on Friday, February 23, 2024. Officials with the Calgary-based company announced Thursday evening that it is ceasing operations, effective at 12:01 a.m. MT on Feb. 26, 2024, after filing for creditor protection. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol)Meanwhile, Lynx employee William Kidd says he woke up to the news on Friday that he would no longer have a job.

"From what I understand, a lot of these airport landing fees are just getting more expensive, slot times are getting more expensive, my knowledge is pretty limited, but I know for a fact Lynx was doing everything it could to make travel more affordable for Canadians," Kidd said.

"Unfortunately, those kinds of margins are very tight in this country, so they just weren’t able to keep up with the cost of everything."

The Calgary Airport Authority says it is aware of the news, noting in a statement posted to social media on Friday that it was saddened "to lose such a collaborative partner and member of our airport community."

"Our thoughts are with the passengers and employees impacted by this sudden news," the statement read.

"To assist guests affected, the authority has placed staff at our Information Desk and throughout the terminal to provide guests direction to Lynx Air representatives or assist guests with finding information on Lynx’s website."