Aviation

PORTER FLIGHTS CONNECT HAMILTON WITH MCO AND FLL

Porter Airlines continues expanding its network at Hamilton International Airport (YHM) with new routes to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) beginning in December. Flights to Orlando begin Dec. 12, and Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 13, both with three weekly roundtrips.

A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT: US routes hurt Air Canada net income

Air Canada says second-quarter earnings were down from last year in what it characterized as a “challenging environment.” Challenges include an 11% drop in revenue in the airline’s U.S. transborder routes that it attributed to geopolitical tensions and a lower Canadian dollar. 

STUDY SHOWS PAX PENALIZED FOR ONE-WAY FLIGHTS

New research and analysis from a leading travel site shows that the largest U.S. airlines have resumed charging higher fares for most one-way domestic flights than they do on roundtrip bookings.

AIR CANADA FLIGHT ATTENDANTS BEGIN STRIKE VOTE

The union representing Air Canada flight attendants is urging a “strong mandate” to strike by members in voting that beings today.  The process begins after the close to eight months of bargaining and the two sides completing the conciliation process without resolution last week. Voting continues through Aug. 5 and members will be eligible to strike effective Aug. 16.

INTO AFRICA: WestJet announces Kenya Airways interline

WestJet and Kenya Airways have announced a new interline partnership agreement that will enable WestJet guests to seamlessly travel to Nairobi, and beyond, with expanded access to 35 destinations across Africa.

SIGH OF RELIEF: Air ticket cost a big boo-boo

Alex McConnachie couldn’t believe his eyes: When he checked Canadian North’s website Monday morning, it said the price of a one-way ticket from Ottawa to Iqaluit had more than tripled to approximately $2,000.

PAW POWER: Meet two dogs that protect an airport

Hercules and Ned have quite the spacious office at West Virginia’s busiest airport. The border collies and their handler make daily patrols along the milelong airfield to ensure birds and other wildlife stay away from planes and keep passengers and crew safe.

YUL SET FOR $10 BILLION MAKEOVER

The Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and surrounding area is set to undergo a $10-billion transformation over the next decade. The airport authority for the greater Montreal area says it has negotiated a $1-billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank to support its plan for the city’s main air hub.

NEW SOUTH KOREAN FLIGHTS A FIRST AT YVR

Vancouver International Airport is the first airport in North America to welcome regular service from South Korean airline T’way Air. The inaugural flight on Saturday kicked off four-times weekly, year-round service between Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul and YVR.

AIR CANADA FURTHER EXPANDS LATIN AMERICA NETWORK

Air Canada is adding flights to Latin America as it looks to diversify its global network this winter.  The airline will resume non-stop service to Lima, Peru, this winter with twice weekly flights from both Montreal and Toronto as well as adding three new routes to Central America and Mexico including, Montreal-Belize, Toronto-Puerto Escondido, and Vancouver-Tepic, Riviera Nayarit.

IF THE SHOE FITS: US expected to drop footwear restrictions at security

For the first time in almost 20 years, travellers may no longer be required to take off their shoes during security screenings at certain U.S. airports. The Transportation Security Administration is looking to abandon the additional security step that has for years bedeviled anyone passing through U.S airports, according to media reports.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN: WestJet releases winter sked with a grin

WestJet’s 2025/26 winter schedule will feature five new destinations across the Caribbean and Latin America. While departures will increase by three percent year-over-year, capacity will be consistent with last winter, as seats will be removed from former Sunwing/Swoop aircraft, which will be updated to WestJet’s standard configuration before the start of winter.

WESTJET-AEROMEXICO CODESHARE OPENS NEW HORIZONS

WestJet and Aeromexico have expanded their codeshare partnership, offering guests on both sides of the continent enhanced access to a broader network of destinations in the two countries with the ease of a single booking.

WESTJET AND SAUDIA SIGN INTERLINE AGREEMENT

WestJet and Saudia have signed a new interline partnership agreement that will enhance global connectivity to more than 100 destinations across both carriers’ networks and includes single-connection access to Jeddah via Toronto Pearson as well as both Jeddah and Riyadh from London Heathrow and Paris Charles-de-Gaulle.

HERE COMES THE SUN: Porter to launch first flights beyond Canada and US

Porter Airlines phenomenal growth is set to take another giant step with the launch of the carrier’s first sun destination flights, which initially will include Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica this winter. Porter supporters will be able to choose from five destinations and 13 routes originating from Toronto Pearson, Ottawa, and Hamilton, Ont. International Airport.

IATA SAYS FREE BIN SPACE WOULD CAUSE CHAOS

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has accused the European Parliament of meddling in operational and commercial issues that it doesn’t understand, following moves to make cabin luggage allowance obligatory, regardless of whether the passenger needs it or not. 

AIR CANADA, TRANSAT, PORTER LEAD WAY AT WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS

Canadian airlines were once again flying high as this year’s prestigious World Airlines Awards, conducted by Skytrax. Dubbed “Oscars of the aviation industry,” the awards saw five Canadian carriers rank in the top 100 worldwide, as well as taking home hardware – including top spots – in several other categories.

WESTJET CYBERATTACK STILL A MYSTERY

The recent cyberattack against WestJet remains unresolved, as questions linger about the nature and fallout of the breach. The airline said last week it was working to assess whether sensitive data or customers’ personal information was compromised after hackers accessed its internal systems.

AIR TRANSAT EYES ISTANBUL

Air Transat will launch a new year-round non-stop route between Toronto and Istanbul starting Dec. 6, operating twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Air Transat and Turkish Airlines have also established an interline partnership aimed at strengthening air service between Canada and Türkiye, while offering travel options to destinations across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

COMPETITION BUREAU RECOMMENDS MAJOR AIR INDUSTRY REFORM

Canada should allow up to 100% foreign ownership of domestic-only airlines, the Competition Bureau says in a new report highlighting the country’s “highly concentrated” aviation industry. In a market study released Thursday, the watchdog suggested a new class of airline that operates only in Canada but could have owners from outside its borders, opening the gate to global expertise – and cash.

AGE HAS IT’S BENEFITS: Elderly aircraft still provide essential services.

Each morning, travellers and cargo take off from Montreal’s Trudeau airport for a 1,600-kilometre flight to Puvirnituq in northern Quebec aboard a nearly 50-year-old Air Inuit plane. This seasoned Boeing 737 previously cruised the skies above Europe and Central Africa for now-defunct carriers in France, Gabon and the Congo. But now its trips are all-Canadian, shuttling people, food and building materials between the country’s second-biggest city and a village of 2,100. 

TRANSAT BETS ON CARIBBEAN, EUROPE

Transat A.T. Inc. hopes to turn Canadians’ aversion to U.S. travel into a boon as it bets on new routes to the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe rather than destinations in the land of Donald Trump. Chief executive Annick Guérard made the case Thursday for a winter schedule that includes fresh flights between Toronto and Guyana, Fredericton and Cancun, Mexico, and Quebec City and Martinique.

WESTJET OPENS SCANDINAVIA WITH SAS PARTNERSHIP

WestJet and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) announced a new interline partnership agreement that enhances seamless connectivity across the Atlantic and throughout the Nordic countries. WestJet guests will gain single-ticket access to 29 destinations across Denmark, Sweden and Norway including key cities such as Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Luleå and Malmö.

PORTER BOOSTS EAST COAST OPTIONS

East coast connectivity is being boosted by the launch of two new routes from Porter Airlines – Toronto to Deer Lake, Nfld., and YYZ to Charlottetown. The former began yesterday (June 10), the latter takes flight Friday (June 13). The flights open up additional travel possibilities across the country, with connecting options via Toronto linking to Western Canada.

CZECH IT OUT: Air Canada Prague service takes flight

Air Canada’s newest international flight from Toronto launched service to Prague, Czech Republic, on the weekend, the latest of the carrier’s newly inaugurated European routes, which also included Montreal-Porto, Portugal last week.

TRANSAT PAVES WAY FOR GROWTH AFTER DEBT RESTRUCTURE

Transat AT Inc. says it has restructured its pandemic-era debt in a deal that forgives hundreds of millions of dollars owed. Most of that reduction is due to about $380 million of debt forgiven under the agreement in principle. The Montreal-based company, which owns Air Transat, said it had cut its total debt with a federal Crown corporation by more than half to $334 million from $772 million. 

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