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Today is the deadline for when Flair Airlines could be required to stop flying in Canada

Here's everything you need to know.
Elana Shepert
Elana Shepert
people-waiting-flght
The Canadian Transportation Agency may require Flair Airlines to stop flying in Canada. The airline announced a route from Vancouver to Puerto Vallarta.Photo via DavorLovincic / E+ / Getty Images

***Update as of May 4 at 5 p.m.: The Canadian Transportation Agency announced that it will issue its determination on June 1.*

May 3 marked an important deadline for Flair Airlines. 

In mid-April, news broke that the airline may be forced to cease its operations due to an issue with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). 

But while the CTA could halt Flair operations if the airline does not meet the conditions to qualify as "Canadian owned," the agency will not provide a comment on the issue. 

The CTA tells Vancouver Is Awesome in an emailed statement that it will provide an update on May 4, "once the requirement to respond (60 calendar days from the date of issuance) has come to an end."

Until now, however, Flair Airlines has maintained that it will not halt operations. President and CEO Stephen Jones told V.I.A. in a phone interview on April 18 that customers should "absolutely be comfortable" in keeping the flights they've booked.

"I want to be really clear. We will not be grounded as a consequence of this review," he explained, adding that Flair has been working with the CTA to address the situation. 

A spokesman for Flair Airlines told V.I.A. in an emailed statement Tuesday that the airline is "working closely with the CTA to resolve the matter, but [has] no further status updates."

Flair Airlines announces new routes, sales at CTA deadline 

In addition to reassuring customers that their flights are secure, the airline just announced two new routes to Puerto Vallarta.

The new routes will provide service between the Mexican sun destination and Vancouver and Edmonton. On Nov. 5, once-weekly flights on Saturdays from Vancouver will begin starting at $99 CAD including all taxes and fees. 

Flair also leaned into its trademark humour to announce the "surprise! (not really) we're here to stay" sale. The sale offer 53 per cent off base fares on flights for travel between May 10 and June 23 using the timely promo code "heretostay." 

The carrier also used the winking emoji with its tongue out in a Twitter post, captioning, "surprise."

The CTA issued a preliminary determination that Flair Airlines may not meet the standard of Canadian control as per the Canada Transportation Act, SC 1996, c 10, which states that at least 51 per cent of a company's voting interests must be owned and controlled by Canadians. Additionally, no more than 25 per cent of the voting interests may be by any single non-Canadian entity or individual.

Numerous Metro Vancouverites say they aren't convinced the airline won't be grounded following the CTA deadline. Many of them are still awaiting refunds, while others say they were unable to reach a customer service representative who could help them.