Oh, Canada!
San Antonio today added its first non stop flight to an international destination that is not Mexico with Air Canada starting daily non-stop service to Toronto, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Its the 37th non stop destination from San Antonio, which has suffered from a lack of non stop flights. In 2008, AT&T CEO Randall Stevenson famously justified his company's decision to move its world corporate headquarters from San Antonio to Dallas on the fact that there were too flew non stop flights out of San Antonio, and if his executives had to sit in the airport in Dallas anyway, the company may as well be based there.
Recently, San Antonio has lost out on international flights to Austin Bergstrom International Airport. An estimated 25% of San Antonio travelers use Bergstrom, which is on the south edge of Austin, and has nearly 100 non stop flights, including service to London and Frankfurt.
“Air Canada is very pleased to be expanding our presence in Texas with non-stop, daily flights from Toronto to San Antonio, one of the most popular destinations in the Lone Star State among Canadians. San Antonio is well known for such sites as the Alamo and River Walk as well as the hospitality for which all Texans are famous. This is our second new non-stop route to Texas this year following the launch of Dallas-Vancouver in February and it compliments existing services to Houston, Dallas and Austin”, said Lisa Pierce, Senior Director, USA Sales and Marketing Development.
Several San Antonio and Visit San Antonio officials are on the inaugural flight, to promote San Antonio tourism in Toronto.