CHARLOTTETOWN — Swoop’s brand new Hamilton-Charlottetown service is now officially up and running, having departed for the first time this past weekend.

Flight WO170 took off from Hamilton on May 1 at 7:50 a.m. EST, and received a warm welcome upon arrival in Charlottetown at 11:00 a.m. local time. A gate-side celebration was attended by Bert van der Stege, Swoop’s Head of Commercial and Finance, as well as airport and city officials.

“As Canada’s leading ultra-low fare airline, we are pleased to kick off our Atlantic Canada expansion with this inaugural flight to Charlottetown today,” said van der Stege. “This is the first of 11 inaugurals Swoop will celebrate across the region this summer as we expand our ultra-low fare offering on the east coast.”

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown added: “Swoop’s inaugural flight to Charlottetown brings not only enthusiastic passengers but also several ancillary benefits to our city. Charlottetown is a year-round destination, and the new carrier will help boost the local economy, create jobs, and offer more travel options to and from our wonderful city.”

Introductory fares from Hamilton to Charlottetown start at $49.

In the coming weeks, Swoop will be adding service to Moncton and Saint John, NB and Deer Lake and St. John’s, NL, as well as adding frequencies on existing routes to Halifax. “With this investment, we highlight our commitment to Atlantic Canada and recognize the importance of the tourism economy,” continued Van der Stege.

Also on May 1, Swoop operated its first nonstop service between Edmonton and Halifax, and today, May 2, the airline will launch nonstop Charlottetown service from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Starting June 16, Swoop will begin nonstop service to Charlottetown from Edmonton International Airport.