Print StoryEGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - The temperature in Toronto at 9 p.m. on Thursday: 40 degrees.
At Atlantic City International Airport, it was 20 degrees warmer.
Just another reason to visit southern New Jersey from the Great White North.
Canada-based WestJet began seasonal service between Atlantic City International and Toronto on Thursday. The first flight arrived here at 8:44 p.m., with a departing flight leaving about 45 minutes later.
The flights not only marked more new service for the airport - Spirit Airlines started flights to Boston and AirTran Airways began flights to Atlanta earlier this year - but also the facility's first regularly scheduled international service. WestJet will fly to Atlantic City International every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday until Jan. 1, when service will be daily.
While WestJet's Atlantic City International-Toronto service will run only through May, airport operators are hopeful the flights will be successful enough for year-round operations.
Only 50 of the plane's 136 seats on the incoming flight were filled Thursday, which WestJet Public Relations Manager Robert Palmer said wasn't unusual for the first flight of a new route. He said he expects bookings to increase once travelers get more familiar with the route and WestJet.
Palmer said WestJet usually takes a cautious approach to new routes, preferring to start them with seasonal service. He said WestJet will determine whether the service here will become year-round in a few months.
WestJet travelers were greeted with balloons, gift bags and a stilt walker after a flight that featured Champagne and an Atlantic City trivia contest.
Palmer said the new services gives Canadians the chance to see Atlantic City's "world-class attractions."
"We are absolutely thrilled to be here," Palmer said.
After years of running a primarily one-airline airport, SJTA started spending money on improvements that included a new baggage handling center, parking garage and terminal upgrades. The airport also used a coalition of gaming and non-gaming companies to attract the Atlanta and Boston services.
Chicago remains the third major market targeted by SJTA and its coalition. SJTA is still in discussions with several airlines about that service, and remains hopeful flights to and from Chicago can begin in the next few months.
Contact Thomas Barlas:
609-272-7201