Aviation

THE FRILL IS GONE: Flair changes course, courts travel advisors

Flair Airlines is revamping its ultra-low-cost brand in a bid to attract more business travellers, despite a lack of frills on board – and will court travel advisor networks to do so. Company CEO Maciej Wilk says Flair is attempting a strategic shift away from a pure-play budget airline and toward what he dubbed a “value carrier.”

THREE’S A CHARM: Grenada gets third flight from Canada

Air Canada is set to launch a third weekly flight to Grenada next Thursday (Jan. 22). Operating seasonally through April 23, the additional frequency reflects strong demand from this country and Canada’s status as one of Grenada’s fastest-growing source markets.

AIR INUIT ENHANCES NORTH QUEBEC OPERATIONS

Air Inuit has a new aircraft that promises to deliver better service to Nunavik says CEO and president Christian Busch. The Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft went into service Tuesday on the airline’s Montreal-Kuujjuaq route.

REEF TO RUNWAY: Hawaiian airports to benefit from airline investment plan

Hawaii’s airports are slated to get a fresh look as part of Hawaiian Airlines’ newly announced investment plan of more than US$600 million over the next five years, designed to comprehensively enhance the experience for guests travelling to, from, and within the islands.

WESTJET BOSS TRIED CONTROVERSIAL SEATS

Last November, WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech stepped onto a plane bound for Toronto along with five other executives, the chairman of the board and several union representatives to try out the airline’s new compacted seating at the back of the cabin.

STUDY FLAGS INFLIGHT WATER WORRIES

An excuse to have another beer or glass of wine when flying? A new study emanating from south of the border warns travellers not to drink tea, coffee, or unbottled water on flights, load up on ice, or even clean their hands in washrooms, due to potentially unhealthy water used on board many aircraft.

TRANSAT PILOTS RATIFY DECEMBER DEAL

Air Transat pilots have overwhelmingly ratified a new five-year employment contract, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA). Of the 98% of 750 eligible pilots who cast ballots, 91% voted in favour of the deal, negotiated in December, which offered a wage hike of more than 50% on average over five years.

IT’S TIME FOR CIRIUM’S MOST PUNCTUAL PERFORMERS LIST

Aeromexico maintained a 90.02% on-time performance to claim the world’s most on-time global airline title for the second consecutive year, according to Cirium’s 2025 On-Time Performance Review, released on Jan. 2.

THE STUFF OF DREAMS: Air Canada Foundation continues to help kids

Dreams Take Flight, Air Canada and The Air Canada Foundation celebrated another successful year of heartfelt journeys to theme parks in Florida and California. This year, more than a thousand children across Canada got to experience a day full of rides, magic and laughter.

MEET THE MEGAHUBS: Ranking the world’s most connected airports

London Heathrow (LHR) has retained its title as the world’s most connected airport for the third consecutive year in 2025, offering over 59,000 possible connections to 226 destinations on the busiest day. Two Canadian airports made the annual top 50 ‘Megahubs’ list by global aviation data platform leader OAG: Toronto Pearson at 26, and Vancouver, 46.

PRETZELS OR COOKIES?: WestJet solves age-old mystery

As 2025 comes to a close, WestJet has revealed a list of some of its quirkiest and most critical stats of the year – such as the most-watched movies at 35,000 feet and whether guests consumed more cookies or pretzels.

COULD ‘HOME ALONE’ TRAVEL CHAOS HAPPEN TODAY?

Panic erupts in the McCallister household as soon as the day begins. The parents’ alarm clock never rings, bags and coats spill across the floor, and the family barrels out the door to catch a flight to Florida in “Home Alone 2.” The pandemonium intensifies at the airport.

BALKANS BONANZA: Air Transat taps into Albania, and beyond

Direct flights from Canada to Albania? Credit Air Transat for tapping into the Balkan country’s growing reputation among savvy travellers as an up-and-coming travel destination that is off the mainstream track in Europe but not lacking in amenities or charm.

WHAT TRANSAT PILOTS WILL EARN WITH NEW DEAL

Air Transat pilots begin voting today (Dec. 19) on a tentative deal with the company that would see raises of well over 50%, boosting the salary for most senior pilots to nearly $388,000 a year by May 2029.

AIR CANADA’S 12 DAYS OF HOLIDAY CHEER

By Michael Baginski/ With 2025 coming to a close, Air Canada hosted a VIP industry gathering in Toronto late last week to say farewell to a successful year, as well as VP of global sales Lisa Pierce, who is retiring at the end of the month after a 40-year career with the company.

WESTJET PLAN MAY NOT HAVE LEGS: Airline faces opposition over non-reclining seats

WestJet has paused a move to install non-reclining seats on a big slice of its fleet after pushback from employees and passengers. The airline announced in September it would reconfigure the seating on 43 Boeing 737 jets to install an extra row and divide the cabin into several tiers, some with more space – and pricier tickets – than others.

HIGH-SPEED RAIL PLANS TAKE SHAPE

The first segment of the federal government’s proposed high-speed rail project will connect Montreal and Ottawa, acting as a test case for a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project intended to transform rail travel in Canada’s most densely populated region. 

WHAT TRANSAT PILOTS GOT, AND WHAT’S NEXT

A tentative deal has yielded big wage gains for Air Transat pilots, the culmination of nearly a year of bargaining and 10 straight days of intense negotiations that saw wages emerge as the main sticking point.

HOW SWEDE IT IS: WestJet, SAS, announce codeshare

WestJet and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) have announced a reciprocal codeshare partnership, offering guests on both sides of the Atlantic enhanced access to a broader network of destinations all with the ease of a single booking.

GOING MOBILE: Smartphone, digital ID the future of travel

The International Air Transport Association’s 2025 Global Passenger Survey (GPS) highlights two key trends that are redefining the passenger travel experience: More travellers are managing every stage of their journey using smartphones; and use of biometrics and digital identity is expanding to enable more seamless airport processing – and travellers like it.

TRANSAT DEAL MOVES THE GOL-POSTS FOR SOUTH AMERICA

Air Transat has a new interline partnership with GOL Airlines that will significantly expand the Canadian carrier’s network by providing convenient onward connections across Brazil and to key destinations throughout South America with one of the country’s largest airlines.

PORTER FEELING BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS

Porter Airlines launched inaugural roundtrip service yesterday between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Nassau, The Bahamas. Seasonal service to Nassau increases to daily flights beginning Dec. 12, while nonstop service from Ottawa begins on Dec. 13, and Montreal on Feb. 5.

MORE EUROPE, MORE MONTREAL FROM AIR CANADA

Air Canada has announced a further expansion of its Summer 2026 global schedule to Europe with new destinations from Toronto and particularly Montréal, plus a new European route from Halifax. The additions further the airline’s international growth and give the carrier North America’s second largest transatlantic network by destination.

CABIN FEVER: Rouge remake highlights Air Canada renewal program

A new look and feel Rouge product will be welcomed by travellers as Air Canada embarks on what the company calls its “most comprehensive” cabin renewal program ever. The refit will also extend to the mainline fleet and Air Canada Express (Jazz) with the multi-year investment earmarked to include new interiors, next-gen technology, and details that reflect the input of both customers and.

SABRE AI SOLUTION A BIG LEAP – FOR CONSUMERS

Sabre has launched SabreMosaic Concierge IQ for airlines, an all-in-one generative AI chat solution that helps travellers plan, book, and manage trips in one seamless conversation. Moreover, according to the travel technology giant, it does so with the “same empathy and judgement as a skilled human agent” while accomplishing what otherwise would be hours-long work in seconds.

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