Canadian ultra low-cost carrier Swoop helped propel London, Ontario International to new passenger heights last year, with a record 683,000 people passing through the terminal.

“With the significant additions of non-stop service in 2019, we were able to provide more passengers than ever before with the ‘Easy and Comfortable’ travel experience” said Mike Seabrook, President and CEO of London International.

In all, 683,155 people passed through the terminal, 27% more than in 2018.

Swoop launched service from the southwestern Ontario city last year with routes to Abbotsford, Edmonton and Halifax, joining Hamilton as an Eastern centre for the Westjet subsidiary in the lucrative southern Ontario market.

“Passengers in the Southwestern Ontario region are becoming more aware of the benefits of flying from London International, and the success of the new flights affirms the demand for more destinations,” said Seabrook. “We are looking forward to another record breaking year in 2020 as we prepare to welcome more passengers and air service”.

Also reporting Friday, Winnipeg International welcomed 4.5 million passengers last year, largely flat from the year before.

“Flat year-over-year passenger volumes, despite the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX, shows the demand for air service in this market remains strong,” said Barry Rempel, President and CEO of Winnipeg Airports Authority.

Winnipeg showed strong passenger numbers in the first half of the year, but a drop of four per cent in the last six months of 2019, mirroring a drop in Edmonton and other non-hub cities.