Southwest Airlines returned to federal court this week in hopes of reversing an US$800,000 award to a flight attendant who said she was fired for her anti-abortion views and a judge’s related order that the airlines’ lawyers take religious liberty training from a conservative Christian legal group.
Officials from beleaguered Boeing officials explained their plan to improve manufacturing quality and safety during a three-hour meeting late last week with US federal officials, who will continue restrictions they placed on the company after one of its jetliners suffered a blowout of a fuselage panel in January.
Travellers heading south of the border via Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport can look forward to pre-clearing U.S. customs at the island/city facility next year, with plans now underway to introduce the fast-track system by late 2025. Airport executives made the announcement on Thursday while introducing the selection of companies to handle construction and baggage handling duties required for implementation.
Pilots at WestJet’s regional carrier could be going on strike at the beginning of June. The Air Line Pilots Association said Wednesday afternoon that WestJet Encore pilots have issued a 72-hour strike notice to management and the government.
ACTA is applauding American Airlines decision rescind its scheduled policy to stop issuing loyalty points on travel agent bookings following significant advocacy efforts by the association in conjunction with the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), and the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA).
Today (May 30) marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival in Montreal of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines’ inaugural flight from Amsterdam. It was the first commercial connection between Canada and mainland Europe – a 20-hour journey that included refueling stops at Prestwick, Scotland, and Gander. From Montreal, the plane continued to Curaçao in the Dutch West Indies, with a technical stopover in Havana.
The Singapore Airlines jetliner that hit sever turbulence last week went through huge swings in gravitational force in less than five seconds, likely causing the injuries to people who weren’t buckled into their seats, according to a preliminary report Wednesday by Singapore’s Transport Ministry.
Two recent high-profile incidents have put a spotlight on the potential dangers of flying through unstable air. In the latest occurrence, 12 passengers and crew were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin hit turbulence on Sunday, resulting in eight of the people being hospitalized. The inflight incident followed the death of a passenger and over 70 others hurt, many severely, on a Singapore Airlines flight earlier this month.
Air Greenland and Canadian North are teaming up to offer direct flights every Wednesday between Nuuk and Iqaluit starting June 26. Air Greenland will be operating the once-weekly flight on its Dash 8 aircraft with Canadian North providing flights on its Boeing 737 aircraft for passengers from Montreal, Ottawa, and Kuujjuaq to meet up with the flight heading to Nuuk.
With recent events raising questions about the state of competition in the airline industry in Canada, the Competition Bureau says it is seeking feedback from Canadians as it prepares to launch a market study of competition in domestic air passenger services in the country.
Lynx Air hopes to sell off everything from life jackets to oxygen masks as it tries to recoup a portion of the losses it suffered before filing for creditor protection earlier this year. In recent court filings, the defunct discount carrier said it has worked out deals with a pair of aviation companies abroad to sell plane parts and equipment ranging from seats to tires and transponders.
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory. A former flight attendant is accused of luring girls to use the lavatory after taping his iPhone to the toilet seat.
Singapore Airlines (SQ) says it will halt meal services and get all cabin crew to buckle up when planes fly through turbulence as part of tighter cabin measures after one person died and dozens were injured on a flight from London last week. The airline said it has adopted a “more cautious approach to managing turbulence in-flight” after the Boeing 777 jet heading to Singapore hit extreme turbulence in the Irrawaddy basin, hurling people and items around the cabin.
WestJet Airlines has plans to soon introduce a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag. CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech says the new fare category will be introduced within “a couple of weeks.”
Five new hires are selflessly roaming the halls of one of the world’s busiest transportation hubs, hoping to provide a paw-sitively stress-free travel experience for anxious passengers. Meet Istanbul Airport’s therapy dogs – always ready to offer support with snuggles, belly rubs and sloppy kisses.
The WestJet Group has released ‘Soaring Together’ its first progress report highlighting the airline’s accomplishments across Canada since the launch of its growth strategy nearly two years ago.
Porter Airlines is expanding its Porter Pass program to reflect its growing North America network with new options making it simpler to customize, plan, and enjoy economy air travel. The pass gives frequent travellers on particular routes or within regions a simple and cost-effective way to purchase up to 100 flight credits at a set price, for travel over the course of one year.
WestJet is pushing back its planned integration of Sunwing Airlines, which the Calgary-based carrier acquired last year. In an email, WestJet said it will weave the discount airline’s fleet into its own by April 27, 2025, six months after the integration date initially set for this October.
A Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean and descended 6,000 feet (around 1,800 meters) in a span of about three minutes, the carrier said Tuesday, leaving a British man dead and more than two dozen other passengers injured.
BermudAir launched service to Canada with its inaugural flight to Toronto Pearson last week (May 17) and will follow this week with Halifax service (May 25). The nation’s flagship airline will provide direct year-round service to YYZ three times a week – Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday – with a flight time of two and a half hours, and weekly YHZ flights on Saturdays.
WestJet Group launched its first flight to Seoul from Calgary Friday, establishing a direct link between Alberta and South Korea. The nearly sold-out WestJet flight 86 marked the first of 140 flights between Calgary and Seoul this summer, with the 787 Dreamliner service operating three times per week through Oct. 27, returning again in Spring 2025.
Air Canada is significantly boosting its schedule serving Ottawa with year-round flights to Calgary and Winnipeg, increased flights to Halifax and Quebec City, and the addition of widebody service to Vancouver. Additional schedule improvements include more flights to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Cancun, and Punta Cana this winter.
The authority that runs Montreal’s international airport is going to court to stop an up-and-coming suburban airport from rebranding with the city’s name, arguing it will cause confusion among travellers. But the airport being taken to court is accusing the international airport of trying to protect a “monopoly.”
WestJet celebrated the takeoff of service between Calgary and Reykjavik (Keflavik) Thursday, adding another option from Western Canada and the airline’s hub to Europe. Flights will operate four times weekly through Oct. 13 on 737 MAX aircraft, departing Calgary at 8:25 a.m.
WestJet has announced enhancements to its winter 787 schedule, including expanded year-round service between Calgary and Tokyo, as well as increased daily flights between Calgary and Paris Charles-de-Gaulle International (CDG) and London Heathrow International (LHR) Airports. The airline is also enhancing its presence on popular leisure routes with service between Canada, Mexico, and Hawaii.
Emirates has announced record profits of US$4.7 billion for 2023 as the airline fully took flight after the turbulent years of the coronavirus pandemic disrupted its operations. The airline carried 51.9 million passengers in its 2023 financial year, as compared to 43.6 million the year prior.
“Bonjour, Quebec!” WestJet Group CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech declared at a staff celebration of the launch of Vacances WestJet Quebec/WestJet Vacations Quebec (WVQ) yesterday at Sunwing’s airport-area office in Toronto. A concurrent event was taking place in Laval as Sunwing staff there also celebrated the launch of a “new tour operator” in the province.
U.S. airlines are suing to block the Biden administration from requiring greater transparency over fees that the carriers charge their passengers, saying that a new rule would confuse consumers by giving them too much information during the ticket-buying process. The US Transportation Department says it will vigorously defend the rule against what it called “hidden junk fees.”
What were they thinking? Airport security officers in Miami found a slithering surprise recently – a bag of snakes hidden in a passenger’s pants. According to an X post by the US Transportation Security Administration, officers at Miami International Airport found the reptiles concealed by an unnamed traveller at a checkpoint.
We wouldn’t have known it while waiting over an hour for our bags to arrive at LAX on a recent visit – even with the 15-minute head start afforded by having to trek from gate to carousel – but at least they did arrive (and in one piece), which is an occurrence that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says is steadily becoming more common.