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Larry MacDougal

WestJet Airlines Ltd. plans to reintroduce service between Toronto and New York's LaGuardia Airport, escalating the battle for travellers in Central Canada and the U.S. Northeast.

In July, 2005, WestJet halted flights between Toronto and LaGuardia after less than a year of service, failing to secure convenient times to fly in and out of the U.S. airport.

This time around, WestJet is in better shape to make the route work, part of a broader strategy to bolster flights into the United States, National Bank Financial Inc. analyst David Newman said yesterday.

Gregg Saretsky, who will replace Sean Durfy as WestJet chief executive officer on April 1, will spearhead the Calgary-based carrier's efforts to raise its share of the transborder market into the United States to at least 20 per cent by 2013, up from 13 per cent at the end of last year. Air Canada currently has an estimated share of 34 per cent.

WestJet, founded in 1996, added Hamilton to its network in 2000, but shifted its eastern hub from Hamilton to Toronto's Pearson International Airport in April, 2004, entering the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa triangle.

With nearly six years under its belt at the Pearson hub, WestJet has a stronger and more extensive network today than it did during its first attempt at the Toronto-LaGuardia route, said Mr. Newman, adding that the carrier expects to have improved times for New York takeoffs and landings.

Routes in Central Canada and the U.S. Northeast are coveted because the traffic is among the busiest of any regional corridor in North America.

Porter Airlines Inc., which is based at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, has been flying to Newark, N.J., since March, 2008, and added Boston to its regional network last September.

Air Canada flies to Newark, LaGuardia, Boston and several other destinations in the U.S. Northeast, including Philadelphia and Washington - two cities being targeted by Porter.

Subject to approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, WestJet stands to gain five pairs of takeoff and landing slots at LaGuardia. Those slots are to be transferred from Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc., which has also agreed to relinquish slots to Orlando-based AirTran Holdings Inc. and Detroit-based Spirit Airlines Inc. as part of a series of industry transactions that includes US Airways Group Inc. gaining strength at Washington's Reagan National Airport.

WestJet spokesman Richard Bartrem said obtaining access to LaGuardia is still subject to regulatory approval. Once approved, WestJet has up to 24 months to declare its use of the slots.

WestJet has been offering seasonal non-stop service between Calgary and Newark since mid-2008, but due to limits on the length of flights allowed into LaGuardia, there won't be any Calgary-LaGuardia service offered by WestJet. Besides the Toronto-LaGuardia route, WestJet has the option to also offer Montreal-LaGuardia flights.

Air Canada, WestJet and Porter have been locked in a fierce fight for customers, especially in Toronto.

Porter has the advantage of operating from its base near the city's downtown, where it offers eight flights a day to Newark, Porter chief executive officer Robert Deluce said.

More flights to Newark could be added in future, but Porter first needs to secure U.S. customs preclearance at the Toronto terminal before it's able to expand to New York-area airports such as LaGuardia and Westchester, Mr. Deluce said.

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