Aviation


  • A REWARDING EXPERIENCE: WestJet overhauls loyalty program
    by Staff Writer - WestJet has announced what it is calling “the most significant improvement to WestJet Rewards in the program's 15-year history” with changes – set to take effect April 30 – designed to make it easier for members to earn, redeem and achieve status.

  • SAFETY IN THE SPOTLIGHT: But how often do aviation accidents actually occur?
    by Staff Writer - A number of recent airline incidents – including a Delta Air Lines plane flipping completely upside down while landing at Toronto Pearson on Feb. 17 – has put the safety of the global airline industry in the spotlight. But how often do aircraft actually have accidents, whether in the sky, or on the ground?

  • NO KIDDING: It’s safer to keep babes buckled in plane seats
    by Staff Writer - The crash landing of a Delta Air Lines flight in Toronto last week highlighted the potential dangers of flying with a young child sitting on an adult's lap. The plane flipped over, which would make holding onto a baby extremely difficult. Authorities haven't said whether the 18-month-old child who was injured in the crash was riding on a parent's lap, but young children have died in previous crashes.

  • CONSOLIDATON PLANNED AT NORTHERN AIRLINES
    by Staff Writer - A Winnipeg firm that owns several northern airlines has announced plans to buy Canadian North, the airline that serves the Arctic. Exchange Income Corp. said it made a deal to buy Bradley Air Services Ltd., which operates as Canadian North, for $205 million from the two Inuit organizations that own the airline.

  • AIR CANADA BREAKS DOWN SNOW DAYS DELAYS
    by Michael Baginski - On an average day, approximately 47% of Air Canada's flights and 46% of its customers pass through Toronto Pearson – the airline’s global hub. Because many of its aircraft and customers connect through Toronto at some point in the day, the airline says a disruption at Pearson can impact flights elsewhere in the system, creating a domino effect that can also affect flights not immediately travelling to or from Toronto.

  • SAFETY AT RISK, CANADIAN AVIATION LEADERS WARN
    by Staff Writer - Amid declining safety ratings for Canada, the country’s air traffic controllers and airline pilots are calling on governments to take decisive action to prioritize and strengthen – not roll back – critical safety protections for air travel in this country.

  • TORONTO PEARSON BACK ON TRACK AFTER CRASH
    by Staff Writer - Toronto's Pearson airport says operations are back to normal roughly a week after a crash landing that sent 21 people to hospital and led to days of travel disruptions at Canada's busiest airport.

  • AIR CANADA TO RETURN TO ISRAEL IN JUNE
    by Staff Writer - Air Canada says it will resume flights to Israel in June, a year and a half after it halted trips to the region amid the Israel-Hamas war. With a fragile truce in place, the country's largest airline said in a travel update that four direct round-trip flights per week from Toronto to Tel Aviv will begin on June 8.

  • WHAT’S THE KEY TO SURVIVING A PLANE CRASH?
    by Staff Writer - After watching videos of a Delta Air Lines jet catch fire upon landing and flip over on a Toronto runway, it’s fair to wonder how anyone could have survived. But aviation experts said it was not surprising that all 76 passengers and four crew walked away from Monday’s disaster, with 21 people suffering minor injuries and only one still hospitalized on Wednesday. It’s a credit, they said, to advances in plane design as well as a crew that flawlessly executed an evacuation plan.

  • DUTCH TREAT: WestJet to launch Halifax-Amsterdam route in May
    by Staff Writer - WestJet is launching new service between Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). The new first-time service will operate through the airline’s 2025 summer schedule, with up to six-times weekly departures starting May 29. The flight will be the first between the two cities in 30 years.

  • CRASH INVESTIGATION UNDER WAY: Almost all injured pax released from hospital
    by Staff Writer - As the investigation into the cause of the crash of the Delta Air Lines flight that flipped and caught fire upon landing at Toronto Pearson continues, the airline said Tuesday that 19 out of 21 passengers initially taken to Toronto-area hospitals had been released.

  • SUNWING TAKES NEXT STEP IN WESTJET TRANSITION
    by Staff Writer - Starting May 29, all Sunwing Vacations package customers will travel on board WestJet Airlines as the airline fully transitions its aircraft to its parent company’s fleet. The latest step in the integration of the companies coincides with the launch of Sunwing’s initial 2025 summer schedule. Here’s what travel advisors, and their clients, can expect.

  • THE LATEST ON DELTA PLANE FLIP AT YYZ
    by Staff Writer - A Delta Airlines plane flying from Minneapolis-St. Paul flipped upon arrival at Toronto’s Pearson Airport and ended up on its roof Monday, injuring 17 passengers including three who are in critical condition. The accident happened at about 2:15 p.m. and flights at the airport were grounded for around two and half hours.

  • AIR CANADA PREPARES TO PIVOT IF U.S. DEMAND WANES
    by Staff Writer - Air Canada says it may reduce flights to certain US destinations later this year if demand from travellers begins to lag, as the airline acknowledged it is coping with uncertainty from the current economic environment, including the threat of tariffs.

  • VIRGIN ATLANTIC TO EXPAND CODESHARE WITH WESTJET
    by Staff Writer - Virgin Atlantic, which will launch service from Toronto Pearson (Terminal 3) on March 30, and WestJet have announced an expanded codeshare agreement that will facilitate connections on Virgin between London Heathrow and 13 Canadian gateways via YYZ. The two airlines will co-locate at Toronto Pearson International Airport’s Terminal 3.

  • ANOTHER HEADACHE FOR BOEING:
    by Staff Writer - Donald Trump ‘toured’ a Boeing airplane to check out new hardware and technology features and to highlight the aircraft maker's delay in delivering updated versions of the Air Force One presidential aircraft, the White House said Saturday.

  • IATA WANTS AIR TRAVEL CONSUMER PROTECTIONS REMOVED
    by Rytis Beresnevicius - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has begun lobbying the current US administration. This has included pleas to reverse the regulatory decisions the Department of Transportation (DOT) implemented during the Barack Obama and Joe Biden administrations.

  • TIME TO INVEST?: Airlines riding strong tailwind
    by Staff Writer - Airlines expect a strong tailwind from travel demand in 2025. United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and several other US-based carriers have all given investors strong forecasts for the year and Wall Street expects major airlines to increase revenue and profit in 2025. (Air Canada will present its present its fourth quarter and full year 2024 results on Feb. 14).

  • BERMUDAIR TO LAUNCH MONTREAL FLIGHTS
    by Staff Writer - BermudAir will launch new nonstop service between Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Bermuda (BDA), beginning June 12. The two-hour flight will provide the only direct service between Montréal and Bermuda.

  • FEAR OF FLYING: Travellers’ concerns ramp up
    by Staff Writer - The spate of recent aviation disasters and close calls have people worried about the safety of flying. The midair collision that killed 67 near Washington, the fiery plane crash in Philadelphia and a commuter plane crash on Friday in Alaska are only the most high-profile disasters.