New United Airlines route halts Bearskin's plans

An aviation analyst says a new daily return flight from Thunder Bay to Chicago is good news for the city, but the expansion could kill plans for a local carrier.

Rick Erickson said companies like United Airlines do their homework before starting a new route, and Thunder Bay is attractive.

"The combination of the demand, the amount of passengers that want to fly in the Thunder Bay area and the amount they're willing to pay to fly that's what's attracting the carriers," the independent airline analyst said.

Erickson said he also expects more flights at the airport when WestJet rolls out its new regional carrier as early as next year.

But the arrival of United stalls plans for Bearskin Airlines.

Bearskin spokesperson Ron Hell said his companys proposed route to Minneapolis is now on standby.

"The overwhelming demand is for travel beyond Minneapolis and, likewise, beyond Chicago," Hell said. "It's thru-traffic. So, an American airline has significant advantages to a Canadian airline."

Hell said Bearskin can't compete with U.S.-based airlines that offer more connections than a local carrier can.

Erickson said Uniteds new Chicago route should see more success than a previous flight to Minnesota.

"There's far more opportunity to connect over Chicago, if they're not going there directly over Minneapolis," Erickson said. "That'll be a strong positive for this new United service."

He said Chicago offers many connections to passengers flying into the U.S., and to vacation areas in the south.