By STUART FOX/ The recent pressure on the supply of aviation fuel globally due to the war in the Middle East has put a spotlight on something most passengers never think about: the fuel in the aircraft. If the war continues, it won’t be long before we see fuel shortfalls in parts of the world. Flexibility could help the industry to make better use of the fuel we have, and airlines keep schedules intact.
Transat AT Inc. says high jet fuel prices added $70 million in additional costs for March and April compared with the same months last year. The travel company says fuel surcharges have only marginally offset the higher costs because a large portion of its bookings were made before the crisis caused by the attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel began.
The European Union’s energy commissioner said Wednesday that while there is no immediate threat to jet fuel supplies, the possibility of a longer-term shortage cannot be ruled out.
As talk of privatization swirls, the head of Toronto’s Pearson airport says the existing public ownership model has served travellers well – but she remains open to “enhancements” that tap into private-sector investment.
Toronto’s Pearson airport is launching a multibillion-dollar upgrade that aims to boost passenger numbers by more than a third to 65 million a year by the early 2030s. The revitalization plan looks to ramp up traffic and tighten on-time performance with improvements ranging from repaved runways to “modernized retail” and possible terminal expansions.
WestJet has signed a new codeshare deal with Fiji Airways, a move that will make it easier for travellers to head to the South Pacific. The agreement will allow guests to travel across both airlines’ networks under a single booking.
Air India has slashed its flight schedule due to soaring jet fuel prices, leaving Canadian residents hoping to visit the subcontinent with fewer options and higher fares. In an internal message to staff CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline has cut flight volumes for April and May, with plans for more schedule trims in June and July.
Air Transat has announced the addition of a new destination to its winter 2026-27 program: Spain’s Canary Islands from both Montreal and Toronto. The seasonal flights to Las Palmas (LPA) will start Dec. 12, continuing weekly through April 4, 2027, with Saturday departures from Montreal and Sunday departures from Toronto.
Air Canada says it’s cutting the number of flights to the United States this summer as the war in Iran creates jet fuel shortages that have sent prices soaring. The airline said in a statement that flights from Toronto to Sacramento, Calif., will cease Aug. 1, and service to Charleston, S.C., will end Sept. 6.
Airlines in Canada and worldwide are cancelling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up prices – but the disruption doesn’t end there. For travellers, it can mean having to navigate a confusing web of passenger protections that vary widely depending on where they’re flying.
Air Canada marked the observance of Red Dress Day in Canada this week (May 5) by sharing a video created to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit peoples (MMIWG2S+).
Porter Airlines has partnered with HTS (Hopper Technology Solutions) to introduce a new product that gives passengers more flexibility with day-of-departure flight disruptions. Available as an optional add-on, the Delay and Cancellation Assistance product offers passengers real-time solutions if their flight is disrupted by more than two hours or cancelled within 24 hours of departure.
Ottawa has announced an increase in the number of direct flights permitted to bring passengers and cargo to and from China. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon says there will be “an incremental increase” in flights between the countries in response to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s outreach visit to Beijing in January.
The demise of Spirit Airlines in the U.S. serves as a warning to smaller carriers north of the border that remain beleaguered by high fuel costs and low demand for travel to America.
By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Finnair celebrated the inauguration of a new direct flight from Toronto to Helsinki on Monday (May 4) with the arrival of Finnair flight AY 31 to a traditional water salute at Pearson airport in the early evening. The service marks a return of Finland’s national carrier to Canada after an 11-year absence.
Transat and Porter Airlines are taking another step forward in their commercial partnership by launching new Transat packages that combine Porter non-stop flights to Nassau, Grand Cayman, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta. Packages feature a curated selection of hotels in each destination, with a mix of all-inclusive and European Plan offerings depending on the property.
Air Canada says it continues to see strong demand and bookings despite higher fuel-driven fare increases. The Montreal-based airline reported net income of $48 million during the first quarter, compared with a net loss of $102 million during the same period last year.
Spirit Airlines, an impish upstart that shook the industry with its irreverent ads and deep discount fares, announced Saturday that it has gone out of business after 34 years.
Porter Airlines is flying south next winter to four new destinations. In addition to new sun routes from Eastern Canada, the carrier will introduce its first international flights from Alberta. This includes over 40 warm-weather routes for the 2026-27 season.
Air Canada reports that its Flight Operations Crew Schedulers and its In-Flight Crew Schedulers have approved a new collective agreement between the airline and the Unifor union. The four-year collective agreements are in effect until May 22, 2029.
WestJet and Air India have announced a new interline partnership to boost connectivity between India and North America beyond Toronto and Vancouver.
Statistics Canada has confirmed what most of us already know: that airfares are rising. Triggered by energy shocks resulting from the warn in Iran, the agency says ticket prices not only rose 2.9% compared with March 2025, but marked a reversal in the nearly two-year trend of annual decreases in airfares.
United Airlines’ CEO confirmed Monday that he approached rival American Airlines about a potential merger – his first public acknowledgment of his proposal – saying it would benefit travellers despite American’s refusal to engage in talks.
Flight Attendants at WestJet, represented by CUPE 8125, have issued a formal notice of dispute following more than seven months of ongoing negotiations that the union says has not produced sufficient progress on key issues.
Airports Council Int. (ACI) World, trade association of world airports, in partnership with SITA, recently announced the winners of this year’s ASQ Airport Experience Awards – considered the benchmark for excellence in airport customer experience as determined exclusively by passengers. This year three Canadian airports made the prestigious list.
Travel search engine KAYAK has launched a new Airfare Trends Dashboard offering a weekly view of how flight prices are changing over time using KAYAK search data.
Eight months into Ottawa’s investigation into flight attendants’ allegations that they’re forced to do unpaid work, the union is raising concerns that it won’t result in any change.
Skyrocketing jet fuel costs threaten to push airfares up and flight numbers down well into the peak summer travel season, even amid the on-again-off-again hopes that oil flows from the Persian Gulf could resume.
Air Canada will suspend service to New York’s JFK International airport from Toronto and Montreal over the summer as the war in Iran creates jet fuel shortages that have sent prices soaring. It will, however, continue to offer 34 flights a day to LaGuardia and Newark from six Canadian cities.
Air Transat has begun unveiling its 2026-27 winter program with its “first wave” of announcements that include four new routes from four different Canadian gateways; the expansion of two of its flagship routes – Toronto-Paris and Montreal-Barcelona – to year-round service; and the return of Florida flights after a summer pause.