Aviation

GIVE IT BACK: Ryanair demands flight attendants return raises.

A Spanish High Court judge ruled in March that an agreement over salaries between the union CCOO and Ryanair last year was not valid after rival union USO contested it in January. Now Irish airline Ryanair has asked some flight attendants in Spain to pay back thousands of euros in raises they have received since last year as part of the union deal later struck down in court.

WESTJET COMMITTED TO ACCESSIBILITY

WestJet has launched its participation in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, which allows guests with non-visible disabilities to discreetly signal that they may require more assistance while travelling, including extra time, patience and support.

I WANT MY BAG AND I WANT IT NOW

Travellers like to get their bags. So declares the International Air Transport Association, which has launched a Global Baggage Roadmap to modernize baggage operations. To be developed with airlines, airports, and industry partners over a mere 10-year timeframe, the roadmap sets a clear path, says IATA, to improve both operational efficiency and traveller satisfaction

AIR TRANSAT ADDS TRIO OF NEW CANADIAN GATEWAYS

Air Transat has announced the addition of three new departure points in Canada for winter 2025-26. Travellers from Windsor (YQG) will have access to weekly flights to Punta Cana (PUJ), while those directly connect clients in Charlottetown (YYG) and Fredericton (YFC) to Cancún (CUN).

THE WORLD’S MOST PROFITABLE AIRLINE: Staff receive 22-week salary bonus

Emirates says it is the world’s most profitable airline, having reported last week that it earned annual profits of $5.2 billion. The Dubai-based carrier served 53.7 million passengers out of its hub of Dubai International Airport, compared to 51.9 million passengers in the fiscal year prior. 

A SWIFT BOOT TO THE BOTTOM LINE: And where Air Canada has redeployed US capacity

Air Canada lowered its financial forecast for the year as travellers continue to shy away from trips to the United States amid cross-border tensions, pushing the airline to hunt for demand elsewhere. The company’s transborder bookings have dropped at least 13% for the next six months, chief executive Michael Rousseau said on Friday, prompting the carrier to cut flight capacity south of the border.

SPECIAL AIR CANADA FLIGHT CELEBRATES INDIGENOUS CULTURE

With a crew of nine flight attendants and pilot, all with Indigenous heritage, Air Canada took flight from Vancouver to Toronto on April 27 highlighting and celebrating the professional achievements of Indigenous employees in aviation.

WINTER IS COMING – WITH NEW AIR CANADA LATIN AMERICA ROUTES

Air Canada’s winter sun schedule for 2025-26 reflects the carrier’s largest network expansion to Latin America to date with 16% more seat capacity over last winter. Highlights of the carrier’s new services include new destinations Rio de Janeiro, Cartagena, Guatemala City, and Guadalajara.

AIR TRANSAT SAYS SI TO NEW LATIN ROUTES

Air Transat is adding a Latin touch to its winter 2025/26 route network with the addition of new service between Montreal and Guadalajara, Mexico, and extended service between Montreal and Madrid, Spain, to cover part of the winter season.

PORTER TAKES BIGGER BITE OF BIG APPLE WITH LGA FLIGHTS

By Michael Baginski/    Clients flying to New York with Porter now have a new option with flights to LaGuardia complementing the carrier’s existing Newark service. And with LGA flights departing from Pearson, travellers can also choose an alternative departure point to the Big Apple than Billy Bishop island airport.

WESTJET CELEBRATES AGENTS WITH CONTEST, LEARNING PORTAL

To show appreciation and celebrate its travel trade partners, WestJet is running a Travel Advisor Appreciation Month contest throughout May – giving advisors a chance to win prizes while being recognized for all they do – year-round.

EXPECT DELAYS AT NEWARK WARNS UNITED BOSS

Passengers with flights to or from Newark Liberty International Airport encountered long delays and cancellations Saturday due to an air traffic controller shortage. The busy airport outside New York City experienced disruptions all week and will continue to face more in the future, according to the CEO of United Airlines.

7 SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP SECURE AN UPGRADE

A few extra inches of legroom and a comfier seat can make a big difference on a flight – and it’s even more enjoyable if it’s free. So, to help maximize the chances of a seat upgrade, frequent flyer experts Flight Hacks have identified some top tips for getting a free flight upgrade and understanding some of the mysteries behind the seat allocation system – helping travellers get the most out of their plane tickets.

THE TIME IS NOW: Transat pilots seek new collective agreement

Yesterday  marked the expiration of the Air Transat pilots’ collective agreement that had been in place for over 10 years. Over the last decade, the Air Transat pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), have twice put their needs on hold to help their employer—first through the unsuccessful merger attempt with Air Canada and later through the effort to restart the airline following the COVID-19 pandemic.

YEG UNVEILS NEW SENSORY ROOM

Edmonton International Airport (YEG) has a new sensory room to support passengers with sensory sensitivities, including autism, anxiety and other cognitive or neurodivergent challenges. Developed in collaboration with Autism Edmonton, the space is located post-security in the domestic-international departures lounge across from Gate 49.

WESTJET INTRODUCES NEW DOMESTIC ROUTES FOR SUMMER

WestJet has announced a major expansion of its domestic network with new non-stop service between Halifax and St. John’s and three western Canadian cities for summer 2025 – all boosting domestic travel options as well as connections to transatlantic services from the eastern seaboard.

YVR SCORES SKYTRAX HAUL: Singapore named world’s best

Singapore Changi Airport has been named the World’s Best Airport 2025 in the prestigious Skytrax World Airport Awards, held last week in Madrid. Notably, Vancouver was named best airport in North America, 2nd-best globally in its category (20-30 million passengers) and 13th globally in the Awards’ pre-eminent best-overall category, leading a trio Canadian airport rankings in the top 100.

AIR CANADA PAX TO BENEFIT FROM BOOSTED BINS

It seems to be the bane of many a traveller: not enough – or big enough – bin space on board. With this in mind, Air Canada says it pleased to report that it will be the launch customer for the Airbus Airspace cabin on the A220 family of aircraft, which will increase the overhead capacity of bags by more than 15%.

SUNWING AIRCRAFT BOLSTER WESTJET FLEET

Three Sunwing Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft (tails 395, 396 and 393) have begun service for WestJet, flying both WestJet and Sunwing Vacations guests as the two brands prepare to fully integrate on May 29.

THREE’S THE CHARM: Virgin Atlantic returns to Toronto after lengthy layoff

By Michael Baginski/   Virgin Atlantic celebrated its arrival in Toronto on Thursday with its founder Sir Richard Branson at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The route marks Virgin Atlantic’s return to Canada after more than a decade, linking Toronto and London. It is also the third attempt by the British carrier to fly the lucrative YYZ-LHR route.

MANILA ROUTE STRENGTHENS AIR CANADA ASIA-PACIFIC NETWORK

Service to Air Canada’s newest destination in Asia – Manila – took flight Wednesday from Vancouver, marking the start of three times weekly year-round service (increasing to four times weekly on May 1) linking Canada and the Philippines.

COULD BE WORSE: Air Canada confirms drop in U.S. business 

On a day that Air Canada celebrated the resumption of flights between Ottawa and London Heathrow, the carrier confirmed that its cross-border flight bookings for the next six months have decreased about 10% – though considerably less than some industry suggestions that traffic has dropped by up to 70 percent.

GO CANADA!: Porter adds more Maple Leaf to network tree

Claiming “Our goal is to fly where our customers want to travel,” Porter Airlines is adding more Canada to its summer schedule. The carrier says domestic flying will comprise 80% of its total network capacity, up from 75% in its original seasonal plan.

AIR CANADA EYES EUROPE WITH NEW ROUTE, CAPACITY

Air Canada is adding a new route and boosting frequencies to popular Europe destinations for the summer, highlighted by new service from Montreal to Edinburgh, Scotland. The carrier is also adding close to 1,300 weekly seats to Paris and Athens, and is also extending its peak Toronto to Rome schedule until October.

MUSK LINK TAINTS NEW WESTJET WIFI

A mixed reaction from Canadians has greeted the launch of WestJet’s on-board Wi-Fi service powered by Starlink – the satellite internet technology made by Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX. Activated in March, the service now offers free Wi-Fi on 16 of the carrier’s nearly 140 planes, with the airline expecting to complete hardware installations on its narrow-body fleet by the end of this year and on its wide-body aircraft before 2027.

FAA SAYS IT MUST DO BETTER AFTER DEADLY DC AIR COLLISION

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration told Congress during a hearing Thursday about a midair collision over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people that the agency must do more to ensure flying remains safe. “We have to do better,” Chris Rocheleau said. “We have to identify trends, we have to get smarter about how we use data, and when we put corrective actions in place, we must execute them.”

PORTER-PASCAN PARTNERSHIP BOOSTS EASTERN CDN. CONNECTIVITY

A new partnership between Porter Airlines and Pascan Aviation will improve access to air travel across Eastern Canada, taking advantage of Porter’s growing North American network and Pascan’s Québec and Maritimes-focused regional flights. Primary connecting airports are in Halifax and Québec City, with other hubs serving as secondary options.

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