New Route of the Day – Americas (30 May 2022): Swoop between Toronto YYZ and Chicago ORD

Swoop has added another new US destination to its network with the introduction on 30 May of non-stop service to Chicago ORD from the airline’s Toronto YYZ base. Swoop becomes the third Canadian airline to start offering this route in the last month. Low-cost rival Flair began 3-weekly service on 17 May, while Swoop’s parent company WestJet began daily service on the 700-kilometre route on 19 May using Q400s operated by WestJet Encore. Swoop will offer 3-weekly flights to begin with reducing to 2-weekly from July according to Cirium data. Flair and WestJet will maintain their current frequencies for the rest of the summer.

Total weekly frequencies unchanged since 2019

Despite the three new carriers adding a total of 13 new weekly frequencies, Cirium data for June 2022 and June 2019 shows that weekly frequencies on this route remain unchanged at 138 per week. Air Canada is offering 49-weekly flights (down six from 55), United 41 (down seven from 48) and American 35 (unchanged).

In addition to these six carriers, it is worth noting that Porter Airlines is also operating 23-weekly flights between Toronto YTZ and Chicago MDW using its 78-seat Q400s.

Swoop currently serves four US airports from Toronto

Apart from Chicago, Swoop is also currently offering service from Toronto to three other US airports; Las Vegas, Nashville and Orlando MCO, all of which are served 2-weekly. A fifth US route to New York JFK is set to begin on 20 June. Last winter, Swoop offered seasonal, ‘winter sun’ flights from Toronto to Orlando SFB, Phoenix AZA and St. Pete/Clearwater.