First NewLeaf flight set to take off July 25

Discount airfare ticket seller NewLeaf Travel is back in business 5 months after it abruptly shut down to await a federal regulatory ruling. Travellers can purchase tickets starting Thursday from the Winnipeg-based start-up, with the first flight scheduled for take-off July 25. When it originally launched in January, NewLeaf billed itself as an alternative to airline juggernauts like Air Canada and WestJet by offering bargain-priced "no frills" flights. But just a week after the company started selling tickets, it hit some turbulence over whether it needed a licence to operate. NewLeaf contended that it did not require a licence because it does not operate airplanes and only resells seats from Flair Airlines. In late March, the CTA ruled in favour of NewLeaf and cleared the runway for the company to resume ticket sales. <br/>