Aviation

Responding to a US government audit, Boeing said Tuesday that it would work with employees found to have violated company manufacturing procedures to make sure they understand instructions for their jobs.

Toronto Pearson has been named the “Best Airport over 40 million passengers in North America” for the sixth time in seven years by Airports Council International (ACI) – World, the global trade representative of the world’s airports. The airport regained the prestigious ranking in 2023 after achieving the honour for five consecutive years between 2017 and 2021, but missing in 2022.

As officials investigate what caused a “strong shake” before a sudden plunge on a plane traveling between Australia and New Zealand, a passenger on Tuesday described a wild ride, with people without seatbelts thrown from their seats and some crashing into the plane’s ceiling.

It’s California here we come (again) as Porter Airlines adds seasonal roundtrip flights on two new non-stop routes between Montreal and Los Angeles and San Francisco International Airport (SFO), creating further connections from eastern Canada to US west coast this summer.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says its data of global passenger demand for indicates a strong start for the year. Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was up 16.6% compared to the year previous, while total capacity was up 14.1%; and the load factor was 79.9% (+1.7%).

The US the Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the Boeing jetliner blowout that left a gaping hole on an Alaska Airlines plane this January. Citing documents and people familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal says investigators have contacted some passengers and crew – including pilots and flight attendants – who were on the Jan. 5 flight.

Last week was a tough week for United Airlines, which experienced four separate incidents aboard its flights, including an emergency landing, lost tire, engine fire, and runway roll-off. No injuries were reported as a result of any of the incidents.

Lynx Air is the latest in a long line of low-cost airlines to fail in Canada. The airline ceased operations on Feb. 26, four days after announcing it had entered creditor protection on Feb. 22. This scenario is not novel in Canadian commercial aviation; Canada has had its fair share of discount carrier failings due to poor financial health.

American Airlines announced a massive order for new planes, splitting 260 new aircraft between Boeing, Airbus and Embraer in a move designed to meet growing travel demand and increase the airline’s supply of premium seats. American said it placed options for up to 193 more planes over the next several years.

JetBlue and Spirit Airlines are ending their proposed US$3.8 billion combination after a court ruling blocked their merger. The announcement was a win for consumers dependent on lower fares, but a disappointment for the carriers who, together, hoped to challenge the U.S. ‘Big 4’ airlines.

When it comes to safety culture at Boeing, there is a “disconnect” between senior management and workers, and employees responsible for checking the company’s planes question whether they can raise issues without fear of retaliation, according to a panel of outside experts.

Lynx Air ceased to fly this week, the latest in a long line of discount carriers to bite the departures dust – brought down in part by stiff competition, high fees, and Canada’s vast geography. Lynx, which filed for creditor protection Feb. 22, marks at least the eighth budget airline to take off and then fizzle out since 2000, joining the ranks of Roots Air, CanJet and Swoop.

With just one accident for every 1.26 million flights, last year was the safest year ever for aviation, says IATA in its just-released 2023 Annual Safety Report. However, despite citing several 2023 parameters showing “best-ever” results, the association’s director general says, “We can never take safety for granted.”

United Airlines has raised its fees for checking bags, following a similar move last week by American Airlines. Now in effect, economy-class passengers on domestic flights will be charged US$5 more. That will bring the price to $35 if they pay online at least 24 hours before the flight, and $40 after that.

Porter Airlines has announced a pair of new routes for Eastern Canada this summer, including the only non-stop Ottawa-St. John’s flight on the market, and the introduction of Deer Lake as a new destination, with service to Halifax. 

Air Transat announced Monday that 62.7% of its flight attendants have voted in favour of ratifying a new collective agreement and effectively lifting the strike threat, thereby putting an end to the uncertainty for travellers.

Private jets and international business class reservations are enjoying a huge upswing among Canadian business and luxury leisure travel clients of First in Service (F1S), according to the independent travel agency group. 

Aviation experts say it was just a matter of time before one of Canada’s new low-cost carriers became unable to fly. With recent well documented reports of financial issues at Flair Airlines, it is perhaps more unexpected that Lynx Air was the first to fall in the crowded low-cost marketplace.

Passengers booked with Lynx Air were left scrambling over the weekend to replace cancelled flights after the ultra-low-cost airline announced Thursday evening that it is ceasing operations effective today after filing for creditor protection.

UPDATED: Officials with the Calgary-based ultra low cost carrier Lynx Air announced Thursday evening that it is ceasing operations, effective at 12:01 a.m. MT on Feb. 26, 2024, after filing for creditor protection. Lynx Air has advised passengers with existing bookings to contact their credit card company to secure refunds for pre-booked travel.

In move to improve regional connectivity for passengers, Air Canada has launched a pilot project connecting passengers from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport and the Region of Waterloo International Airport in southern Ontario to its hub at Toronto Pearson via luxury motorcoach.

United Airlines says it plans to resume flights to Israel next month, reviving a route that was suspended in October at the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The airline said Wednesday that it will start flights from Newark, New Jersey, to Tel Aviv with a stop in Munich on March 2 and March 4.

American Airlines says that starting with tickets issued on May 1, customers will have to buy tickets directly from the airline or its partner carriers, or from preferred online travel agencies, if they want to earn points in its AAdvantage loyalty program. The airline said it will list the preferred travel agencies in late April. Corporate travellers won’t be affected.

The price of a plane ticket fell more than 14 percent on average in January compared with a year earlier, according to new data from Statistics Canada. Airfares also dropped nearly 24 percent between December and January, the agency’s consumer price index report said, as holiday demand gave way to stay-at-home habits last month.

Air Canada continued its post-pandemic recovery in the last quarter of 2023, earning roughly 10% higher profits year-over-year and, more importantly, registering a nearly $4-billion swing into the black for the year compared to 2022.

WestJet chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech has apologized for incidents where the airline failed to accommodate people living with disabilities, and says the airline is “committed to doing better.”

As rumours swirled Thursday, Flair and Lynx declined to comment on speculation of a merger, and various sources said the precise timing of any announcement was as yet unknown.   However, the Toronto Star, citing three industry sources,  reported that “Flair Airlines and competitor Lynx Air are in discussions about a merger, and a deal could be announced the same day.