A campaign to bring improved scheduled non-stop air service to Edmonton has taken off and is cruising comfortably towards its intended European destinations.

FlyEuro, a joint initiative of Edmonton Airports and Edmonton Economic Development Corp. (EEDC), along with support from the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, seeks to establish a database of potential European air travellers that will be used to bolster greater Edmonton's case for scheduled air service to Europe - specifically scheduled, non-stop flights to Frankfurt and London.

Launched over the summer, FlyEuro asks regional residents who travel to Europe for business or leisure to voice their demand for improved European air links by completing an online survey at the Edmonton.com website.

Upward of 2,800 surveys have already been completed and the campaign, which officials expect to reach or exceed its goal of 3,000 surveys, officially ended last week. However, EEDC's Allan Scott says the deadline will be extended as the sponsoring groups try to get as detailed a picture as possible of users' travel patterns.

Dan Riedlhuber, Business Edge
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO Martin Salloum, left, and EEDC president Allan Scott are among the prime movers behind the push to increase non-stop European flights.

Currently, Edmonton's air service to Europe consists of charter offerings from carriers such as Martinair to Amsterdam, Air Transat to Frankfurt and Zoom/Canadian Affair to London. But while these airlines do fill a void, especially during high-travel seasons, officials would like to see Lufthansa flying directly to Frankfurt from Edmonton and for Air Canada to add a non-stop to London - both on a year-round basis as opposed to a seasonal arrangement.

Optimum service would mean daily flights out of Edmonton on the new routes, but as airlines often build up a route, Edmonton Airports says it's likely such a new route could start with about three flights a week, eventually transitioning into a daily service.

"London and Frankfurt are the two top targets," says Traci Bednard, Edmonton Airports' director of corporate communications. "Although more people are going to London than Frankfurt, Frankfurt offers superior connections (to other cities)."

Both Bednard and Scott cite the Frankfurt route as preferable if only one route is added, primarily due to its connections to cities in the Middle East and the benefits this would mean for companies working in the oil sector.

"Both have advantages, but probably Frankfurt has the significant advantage with direct flights to the Middle East - where our oil services companies have contacts," says Scott, EEDC's president and CEO.

"We need to find the best data possible to convince an airline that we have the market, that it will be sustainable and profitable for the airline," adds Bednard. "It costs an airline millions and millions of dollars to start a new service and the more we can do to decrease the risk the more they will be comfortable in investing in that route."

Bednard says the survey will provide an edge by showing the most current data in terms of market potential. "It just helps us to quantify it and that gives some comfort to the airline - we have some hard data that's current, with some actual numbers behind it."

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is taking an active role in supporting FlyEuro and publicizing the campaign to its members.

"It's a significant issue for our business members to have more seamless travel (options)," says Ruth Kelly, chair of the chamber's board of directors. "Our members have expressed significant concern in the past and I'm confident if they have the chance, they will rally for this issue."

The lack of direct service to Europe for businesspeople and tourists is an ongoing issue, adds Scott, noting it could make a difference in getting a company to expand into or locate in Edmonton.

"Even to come here to look at some of the opportunities, direct flights from Europe would just make it a lot easier and then we're seen as a major centre having those direct connections," says Kelly.

Edmonton Airports says the targeted airlines are aware of the FlyEuro campaign and are expecting the results.

"It's a joint initiative and I think that's what ultimately will contribute to its success. We're seeing excellent return rates on the survey," says Bednard.

"We really need to give credit to EEDC and the Chamber," adds Bednard. "To have both of those agencies focused on a project like this is significant and in addition to that, they really have the connections in terms of reaching people more efficiently than we would on our own."

But Bednard says that should FlyEuro succeed, it's unlikely any direct, scheduled European flights would be in place before the summer of 2006 - giving the airlines sufficient time to get the flights off the ground.

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)