Aviation


  • IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED: Frontier makes a second bid for Spirit
    by Staff Writer - No-frills, budget airlines often lead the industry in customer complaints, according to government data, so if one were to disappear would it be missed by travellers? That is a question US regulators will be asking after Frontier Airlines said Wednesday that it wanted to buy Spirit Airlines, which sought bankruptcy protection late last year.

  • STRETCH YOUR CANADIAN TRAVEL DOLLAR: Shattering Myths and Sharing Tips
    by Staff Writer - Expedia’s new 2025 Air Hacks Report is debunking myths.  For example, ‘Summer is an expensive time to travel’.  Nah ... turns out July, a peak summer travel time, is the cheapest month to travel. Average air ticket prices are up to 11 percent cheaper in July than March when booking a trip from a Canadian origin airport.

  • YYZ – LGA: Porter Airlines boosts New York presence
    by Staff Writer - Porter Airlines is expanding its footprint in New York with the launch of new year-round service, which starting May 01, will see up to three daily roundtrip flights operating between Toronto Pearson International Airport and LaGuardia.

  • PORTER PAX GET A BREAK WITH BRIGHTLINE
    by Staff Writer - Through a first-of-its-kind partnership for the intercity rail system facilitated by VISIT FLORIDA, guests booking on Porter Airlines can now receive 50 percent off adult SMART fares on select Brightline trains between South Florida and Orlando – an arrangement that notably connects the former’s cruise gateways (Miami, Fort Lauderdale) with the theme parks of Central Florida (Disney, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld).

  • JUST LIKE THE JETSONS: Flying taxis are no cartoon caper for airline industry
    by Staff Writer - As CEO of Joby Aviation, JoeBen Bevirt is getting closer to turning his boyhood flights of fancy into a dream come true as he and latter-day versions of the Wright Brothers launch a new class of electric-powered aircraft vying to become taxis in the sky – vehicles that whisk passengers to a destination in a matter of minutes, and create a new class of airport transfers upon arrival.

  • BOEING’S BAD YEAR
    by Staff Writer - Boeing's aircraft deliveries and orders in 2024 reflect the company's rough year. Boeing delivered less than half the number of commercial aircraft to customers than its European rival in 2024 as the American aerospace giant's output suffered under intensified government scrutiny and a factory workers' strike, according to data released last week.

  • LUFTHANSA BUY ENDS UNCERTAINTY FOR FORMER ALITALIA
    by Staff Writer - Germany's Lufthansa Group finalized its acquisition of Italian airline ITA Airways on Friday, closing a long period of uncertainty for Italy’s former flagship carrier. Under the 325-million-euro ($483 million) deal, Lufthansa takes an initial 41% stake in ITA, formerly Alitalia, from the Italian government, gaining full control by 2033.

  • AN ACT OF ‘STUPIDITY’: Pakistan Airlines ad causes stir
    by Staff Writer - Pakistan’s national airline said Thursday that an advertisement showing a plane heading toward the Eiffel Tower was never intended to evoke the memories of the Sept. 11 attacks. The illustration, not in video format, shows a plane superimposed over the French flag and tilted toward the Paris landmark, with the words “Paris, we're coming today.”

  • PLAY TIME ENDS FOR CANADA
    by Staff Writer - After only two years serving Canada from its base in Hamilton, Ont., PLAY Airlines is pulling out of the market. The Icelandic low-cost carrier's schedule shows that starting in late April it will stop its four flights per week from YHM to its home base in Reykjavik, Iceland, which it uses as a hub for trips to Europe.

  • PUT A CORK IN IT: Ryanair urges booze limit at airport bars
    by Staff Writer - Ryanair is calling on European authorities to limit the sale of alcoholic beverages at airports across the continent, as the Irish airline continues legal action against a passenger who it says caused a costly flight diversion last year.

  • WESTJET LAUNCHES CALGARY-MEXICO CITY SERVICE
    by Staff Writer - Beginning May 14, WestJet will operate five weekly flights between Calgary and Mexico City – a route last served in 2018. With the addition of Mexico City, The WestJet Group, including Sunwing Airlines, will serve 13 cities in Mexico from 24 Canadian cities in 2025 with more than 200 flights per week during peak travel periods.

  • TORONTO PEARSON FLYING HIGH: Airport takes stock of record growth
    by Staff Writer - Toronto Pearson set a milestone achievement in 2024, welcoming eight new airlines. That’s more, the airport says, than any other large airport in North America, and brings the facility’s roster of airline tenants to 54, serving 180 destinations worldwide. 

  • AIR CANADA SET FOR NEW JFK TERMINAL
    by Staff Writer - Air Canada will operate from John F. Kennedy International Airport's new world-class Terminal 6 (T6) when it opens to passengers in New York in 2026, joining fellow Star Alliance partners Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ANA as future T6 airlines.

  • STEPHEN GOULDING JOINS VIRGIN ATLANTIC
    by Staff Writer - Stephen Goulding has joined Virgin Atlantic as Country Manager for Canada. The Canadian airline industry veteran, who has held leaderships roles with WestJet, began the role this week, and takes the position ahead of Virgin’s launch of service from Toronto to London on March 30.

  • TRANSAT PILOTS TALK TOUGH ON NEW CONTRACT
    by Staff Writer - Air Transat pilots have filed notice to beginning bargaining with the company over a new contract with the warning, “We want management to know we are ready to fight for a contract that addresses the concerns of our pilots and brings stability to our airline.”

  • BYE-BYE BOARDING PASSES?
    by Staff Writer - The chief executive of start-up Riyadh Air, which will take flight this summer, says that boarding passes – both paper and digital – will likely disappear withing five years, to be replaced by biometric scans for passengers.

  • THE BEST AND WORST ON-TIME AIRLINES
    by Staff Writer - Aeromexico had the world's best record – 87% – for on-time arrivals in 2024, according to an annual ranking released late last week. Delta Air Lines scored the highest among North American carriers, while WestJet and Air Canada finished at the bottom of that regional pack with on-time ratings below 72%.

  • END OF AN ERA: Rare runway straddling Canada-U.S. border closes
    by Staff Writer - The Piney-Pinecreek Border Airport had a unique claim to fame – its runway straddled the border of the US and Canada. But after seven decades of operation, the small airport that sits near Roseau, Minnesota, and Piney, Manitoba, closed for good on Dec. 27.

  • HONG KONG AIRLINES RETURNS TO YVR IN JANUARY
    by Staff Writer - Hong Kong Airlines will resume direct flights to Vancouver starting Jan. 18. The twice-weekly services will provide additional travel options for passengers travelling between Hong Kong and Vancouver, and those connecting via Hong Kong.

  • FEDS SPELL OUT NEW PASSENGER COMPENSATION RULES
    by Staff Writer - The federal government is proposing new rules surrounding airlines' obligations to travellers whose flights are disrupted, even when delays or cancellations are caused by an "exceptional circumstance" outside of carriers' control.