Aviation

While many experts consider it requisite posturing during a labour negotiation – and an outcome too dire to ultimately be allowed to happen – Air Canada says it is working on contingency plans that would see it suspend most of its operations in the event that an agreement with its pilots union is not reached by Sunday (Sept. 15) when a 72-hour strike or lock-out notice could be triggered.

The union representing Air Canada pilots says the company’s “corporate greed” is what’s holding up successful contract negotiations between the two sides, with the Air Line Pilots Association claiming Monday that Air Canada “continues to post record profits while expecting pilots to accept below-market compensation.”

Air Canada says contract talks with its pilots are nearing an impasse over what the airline says is the union’s wage demands. The airline says it’s preparing a contingency plan to suspend its flights gradually over three days if a 72-hour strike or lockout notice is issued.

With the launch – relaunch, actually – of Virgin Atlantic from Canada next May, company executives Simon Hawkins and Kathryn Stanley were in Toronto recently to talk about “everything and anything” regarding the colourful British carrier and its imminent, and much anticipated, return to this country.

Cathay Pacific says maintenance activity on its A350 fleet is “progressing well” after being forced to cancel dozens of flights this week after an engine issue forced a Zurich-bound flight to return to an airport in Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong, has scratched nearly 70 flights since Monday, though none from Canada.

North American carriers saw a 5.3% year-on-year increase in demand in July and capacity increased 6.3% year-on-year, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). At the same time, the load factor was 89.4 percent – virtually the same as last year and the highest among regions. 

The Calgary Airport Authority says it will take at least a year and a half to fix part of its domestic terminal that was hammered by hail earlier this month. It says Concourse B will be closed while restoration work is done.

Flair Airlines says it is looking for partners to inject fresh capital into the discount carrier in order to “restructure” its finances and build out its fleet. Eric Tanner, VP of revenue management and network planning, said the company is hoping for partners to buy into the business as a way to deal with pandemic-era debt and allow the company to acquire jets beyond the 20 planes it now flies.

Air Canada says that “more than sufficient time” remains to settle outstanding issues with its pilots, who are in a legal strike position as of Sept. 17. However, the carrier is still preparing for the worst by introducing a “goodwill rebooking policy” for customers who are scheduled to travel between Sept. 15 and 23.

WestJet is renewing and expanding its distribution agreement with Amadeus, continuing to make all its fare options – along with merchandising capabilities – easy to book for travel advisors. Moreover, the carrier says all of its future NDC-based offerings will be available on the Amadeus Travel Platform.

Colombian airlines Avianca and LATAM Colombia said they would resume full schedules today (Wednesday) after warning earlier they would have to cancel dozens of flights due to shortages of jet fuel. Avianca said it had received confirmation from the nation’s main supplier of jet fuel that there would no longer be any restrictions on how much fuel was provided to airlines, enabling it to again sell tickets for all its routes and observe its planned flights.

Flair Airlines has launched a $1 base fare initiative, with the “groundbreaking” offer starting on northbound routes from Mexico, the US, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic to Canada. The carrier adds that it will continue $1 base fares on different routes across its network throughout the year.

Delta and American Airlines have both extended their suspensions of flights to Israel as the war between the country and the militant group Hamas continues, and hostilities with Lebanon threaten to escalate.

Air Canada pilots voted on Thursday to overwhelmingly approve a strike mandate, putting them in a position to walk off the job as early as Sept. 17. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents more than 5,400 aviators at the country’s largest carrier, says the vote passed by 98 percent.

In another setback to the beleaguered airline manufacturer, federal safety officials in the US are requiring inspections of cockpit seats on Boeing 787 Dreamliners after one of the jets went into a dive when the captain’s seat lurched forward without warning and disconnected the plane’s autopilot system.

From his office overlooking the runway at Gander International Airport, Reg Wright can see all flights in and out of his corner of Newfoundland. But in recent years, those plane spottings have been fewer and farther between. Gander serves as a microcosm for numerous towns and cities across the country. While Canada’s total domestic passenger numbers now hover at around pre-COVID levels, air travel to smaller communities and even medium-sized cities has withered, pushing up fares and leaving parts of the country less connected.

Air Canada’s pilots are expected to wrap up voting on Thursday regarding a possible strike, which could take place as soon as Sept. 17. The pilots who are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association are looking to close the wage gap with airline pilots in the US.

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has issued an advisory statement – including information on potential claims eligibility for consumers – regarding Canada Jetlines, which announced last week that it had temporarily ceased operations as of Aug. 15, 2024.

Canada Jetlines has grounded its planes and ceased operations amid a cash crunch that caused it to become the third Canadian carrier in less than a year to stop flying. The airline, which flew mainly to sun destinations out of Toronto, said Thursday it has been unable to find the capital needed to stay afloat and plans to file for creditor protection.

WestJet says it will be issuing flight cancellations “for the foreseeable future” after planes were damaged by a Calgary hailstorm last week, upending travel plans for thousands of passengers. The country’s second-biggest carrier says 16 aircraft, or 10 percent of its fleet, remain out of commission nine days after the tempest rained down golf ball-sized ice pellets onto parts of southern Alberta, including the province’s largest airport.

The first-ever US Baggage Sanitization System has been introduced at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 7. Dubbed a “significant milestone in the travel industry’s ongoing efforts to combat the spread of infectious diseases,” the system offers a travellers a quick, turn-key solution to sanitize their baggage before bringing it home with them.

Experts say airfares may go up in the immediate aftermath of a hailstorm that tore through Calgary last week, damaging planes at WestJet and Flair Airlines and upending travel plans for thousands of passengers. Hailstones as big as golf balls pummelled the airport tarmac, forcing both airlines to ground 10 percent of their fleets for repairs and inspections.

Air Canada may be the official carrier of Team Canada, but that didn’t stop the Paris Olympics from hobbling its summer sales. Despite Canadians’ continued thirst for Mediterranean getaways, the airline’s transatlantic ticket proceeds suffered in its latest quarter as travellers from France and Germany opted to stay on the Continent to soak up the Olympics as well as Euro 2024, and many Canadians decided to avoid France during the Games.

A Chinese American teen is vying to become the youngest person to fly solo to all seven continents in a quest that also aims to drum up donations for research into childhood cancer.

WestJet says cancellations and delays across its network will continue for the “foreseeable future” as it recovers from damage caused by an unprecedented hailstorm in Calgary on Monday night. As a result of the storm, 16 WestJet aircraft – 10 percent of its fleet – are grounded as they require substantial repairs and inspections before returning to service. 

Air Canada saw its profits fall by half even while its revenue rose in its latest quarter, as the country’s largest airline struggled to complete the final stages of its recovery from COVID-19.