Calgary-based airline, Westjet has announced an increase in services to and from Edmonton International Airport.

As well as a new route between Edmonton and Nanaimo, the Canadian carrier will increase frequencies on a number of routes including Regina, Grande Prairie, Kelowna and Saskatoon.

From December 15, 2015, the airline will commence its new service to Nanaimo, with the flight leaving Edmonton at 12:45pm and arriving into the Harbour City at 13:51pm. The return journey will depart Nanaimo at 14:25pm, arriving back into Edmonton at 17:12pm.

John Craig, chairman of the Nanaimo Airport Commission, said the city had been asking for the route for several years.

“With this new service our travellers will now be able to fly either point-to-point or conveniently connect in Edmonton to other Canadian and worldwide destinations,” he said.

The expansion will also include more than 60 flights per week to Kelowna, Regina, Saskatoon, Grande Prairie and Calgary.

Flights to and from Grand Prairie will increase to 23 times weekly from 14 from October 26, while services to Regina will increase from two to three daily from October 25, 2015.

From December 15, Westjet will add one more daily Edmonton – Kelowna flight, for a total of four flights daily in each direction, while flights between Edmonton and Saskatoon will increase fromm twice to thrice daily both ways.

“Edmonton is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada and these important schedule improvements will support that growth,” said Chris Avery, WestJet Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development.

During the first six months of 2015, domestic travel out of the Edmonton International Airport was down 4.3 per cent, trans-border travel was down 10.4 per cent, while international travel was up 15.7 per cent.

"These enhancements cover a broad range of areas including key business and leisure routes, greater flexibility for business travellers who want same-day return trips, and more choices for people looking for vacation opportunities,” he added.