Flight Centre Canada posts third straight record year

Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) Canada has posted its third consecutive record year, reporting growth across both its leisure and corporate businesses as Canadians continued to travel despite a volatile operating environment.

The result marks another milestone for FCTG, which has operated in Canada for 31 years.

“One of the clearest things we saw this year is that Canadians kept travelling, even as the market became significantly more volatile,” said Chris Lynes, managing director, FCTG Canada, in a press release.

“Shifting demand for U.S. travel, disruption in Cuba and the Middle East, airline strikes, severe weather and continued economic pressure all influenced where and how Canadians travelled.

“When flights are disrupted or plans are upended, expertise and the ability to offer alternatives matter. Our teams helped customers rethink itineraries, find options and keep their travel moving, and that was a significant part of our performance this year.”

The company saw a “particularly strong travel within Canada, while international demand strengthened for Europe, Southeast Asia and other parts of the Caribbean.”

“For our industry, that is an important signal: Canadian travel demand remains strong, and travellers are prepared to adapt when circumstances shift,” said Lynes.

“We are going into the new financial year investing for growth, including two new Flight Centre retail stores in Ontario and British Columbia, expanding Corporate Traveller’s presence in Quebec and growing our multinational business travel segment through FCM Travel.”

The Canadian results come as FCTG prepares to expand its footprint in several areas of the country.

Expansion plans

In addition to opening new Flight Centre retail locations in Ontario and British Columbia, the company plans to build Corporate Traveller’s presence in Quebec while expanding its multinational business travel segment through FCM Travel.

The performance in Canada coincided with a record year for FCTG’s global corporate division, which posted record total transaction value and revenue.

North America was a particularly strong performer, with growth reported across the group’s small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) business segment.

“Corporate Traveller was the star of the show this year,” said Chris Galanty, FCTG global corporate CEO. “It's the only global travel management company built purely around the SME customer.

“What makes it different is the combination of our own technology, a platform called Melon, with a dedicated travel consultant for every customer. Customers get modern tools and real personal service, and FCTG’s buying power behind them too.”

The results were released Wednesday (Aug. 26) as part of Flight Centre Travel Group’s end-of-financial-year results to the Australian Securities Exchange.

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