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 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 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.
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.”
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.
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%.
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 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.
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.
Air Canada’s 2024 season of Dreams Take Flight wrapped up before Christmas with the last flight of the year departing from Calgary, whisking deserving children away for a special day at a theme park in California. Over the last 12 months, more than 900 children from across Canada were took part in the Air Canada Foundation program, which supports the health and well-being of children across the country, in particular creating hope and resiliency for children facing adversity.
Air Transat will fly to Berlin in 2025 with the non-stop route taking flight from Toronto on June 10 and operating Thursdays and Sundays on a seasonal basis through Oct. 24. The service will be the airline’s 36th non-stop routes between Canada and Europe or North Africa next year.
Air Canada plans to offer free Wi-Fi to Aeroplan members aboard its flights starting in May, building on a partnership with telecom giant Bell that already gives passengers free text messaging capabilities. The airline says that the Bell-sponsored internet service will be available on all Wi-Fi equipped aircraft for North American and Central American followed by long-haul international routes in 2026.
A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey, New York and the East Coast in recent weeks, sparking speculation and concern over who sent them and why. The FBI is among several agencies investigating and has asked residents to share videos, photos and other information they may have about the unusual night flyers.
The first commercial batch of made-in-Canada low-carbon aviation fuel sourced from non-food grade canola and tallow has been produced and quickly purchased (by Air Canada). Fuel retailer Parkland Corp. said last week it has successfully produced about 100,000 litres of the fuel at its refinery in Burnaby, B.C. “using existing infrastructure.”
Transat A.T. Inc. reported a big boost in profits in its latest quarter, driven by millions of dollars in compensation from an engine maker as well as an uptick in passenger figures.
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, who has led a tougher enforcement policy against Boeing since a panel blew off a Boeing jet in January, said Thursday that he will step down next month, clearing the way for Donald Trump to name his choice to lead the agency.
The number of air passengers will likely reach 5.2 billion in 2025, topping the 5 billion mark for the first time ever, predicts IATA in its year-end financial outlook for the global airline industry. The nearly seven percent rise compared to this year will also see net profits for the airline industry reach US$36.6 billion.
Honouring the 11-year anniversary of one of its “Real-Time Giving” campaign, WestJet is bringing back its holiday season campaign with a special twist. Before families boarded a WestJet flight from Toronto to Calgary, guests visited Santa’s Station where WestJet’s Blue Santa asked kids what they thought their parents and other grown-ups wanted for Christmas.
Flair Airline says it has put measures in place “to ensure operational continuity” after the airline’s chief financial officer Sumanth Rao was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal crash involving an underage driver who had been drinking at his Atlanta-area home.
The chief executive of Air Canada has been elected as the new chairperson of the Star Alliance chief executive board. Michael Rousseau succeeds United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby, who has held the title since December 2020.
A WestJet passenger who went on a shopping spree to replace items in her luggage that was temporarily lost between Prince George and Ottawa two years ago was awarded just over a third of what she demanded by a British Colombia’s Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT).
Air Canada will begin serving Manila from Vancouver next spring – the first Canadian carrier to offer direct service to the Philippines – at the same time notably continuing its international expansion and marking the launch of a third South-East Asia destination in the last two years. The airline says the Philippines is the largest market it currently does not serve directly in Asia.
Air Canada plans to bar carry-on bags and impose a seat selection fee for its lowest-fare customers in the new year as discount carrier tactics increasingly enter the mainstream. Starting Jan. 3, basic fare passengers on trips within North America and to sun destinations will have to check duffel bags, rolling suitcases and large backpacks for a fee – $35 for the first, $50 for the second.
Delta and United have become the most profitable US airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning back a significant share of travellers on a tight budget. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection last month.
WestJet has announced that WestJet Agent Direct is now available for new users to register and start booking. To celebrate the travel agent booking platform’s enhanced connectivity (it has been available since earlier this year for users of the airline’s previous tool, WestJet Agent), the airline is recognizing new and existing users with a contest and 10 giveaways.
Starting in Vancouver Tuesday (Dec. 3), Air Canada will be the first Canadian airline to offer customers the ability to use facial recognition to board domestic flights. The voluntary Digital Identification program is designed to create faster, seamless boarding by eliminating the need for passengers to produce passports or other physical ID. It will soon be rolled out at additional airports across the country.
A new route between Montreal and Valencia, Spain, highlights Air Transat’s just-released 2025 summer schedule, which in sum will include 275 weekly non-stop flights to over 40 destinations from Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City.
Airfares are forecast to see modest increases across most regions globally in 2025 as airline capacity continues to rise, according to American Express Global Business Travel’s (Amex GBT) latest Air Monitor 2025. The report anticipates that, after a period of sharp fluctuations, airfare prices are starting to stabilize globally, marking a shift from the more volatile pricing patterns of previous years. However, the underlying cost of air travel is likely to remain high.
Calling the move an “appalling decision,” IATA has condemned a decision by the Spanish government to remove cabin baggage fees for passengers in Spain and fine airlines EUR 179 million. The air transport association charges that the move “undermines freedom of pricing which is fundamental to consumer choice and competition, a principle that has been long upheld by the European Court of Justice.”
WestJet will launch new nonstop service connecting Vancouver and Austin, Texas, next spring. The three-times-weekly flights will commence May 11. Last week, the airline also announced new seasonal routes to Boston and Tampa beginning in June.