WestJet led North American airlines in on-time performance in October, according to respected aviation firm Cirium. And with Air Canada ranking third in the region, it was the first time in months that two Canadian carriers ranked among the top three (Delta was second).
A new interline agreement between Air Transat and Turkish Airlines is now in effect, the airlines have announced. The partnership enables travellers to book itineraries combining flights from both airlines, enhancing connectivity between Canada and Türkiye, and key destinations across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
International airlines increasingly cancelled flights to Venezuela on Sunday after t he U.S. Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots to use caution when flying in the country’s airspace because of worsening security and heightened military activity.
Air Canada and Emirates – the world’s largest international airline – have signed a memorandum of understanding to extend their reciprocal codeshare and loyalty partnership until Dec. 31, 2032. The renewed agreement will deepen their cooperation, lead to enhanced services for customers and cargo shippers, and create the potential for new gateways within Canada in the codeshare network.
WestJet has revealed five new seasonal international destinations from Toronto, three new transatlantic destinations from Halifax, as well as new domestic and Nordic connections from Western Canada as part of its summer 2026 schedule. Headlining the route roster is WestJet’s first South American non-stop connection from Toronto: Medellín, Colombia.
Airfares are expected to remain broadly stable through 2026, according to the newly released Air Monitor 2026 from American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT). The annual forecast analyzes global airfare trends and provides insight to help organizations manage their travel programs in a shifting airline landscape.
WestJet has launched a new hotel booking platform that will enable both WestJet members and customers to book hotels worldwide and earn WestJet points. In partnership with digital travel platform Agoda, WestJet Hotel aims to enhance the WestJet customer experience by expanding hotel bookings with flight services, encouraging loyalty through the WestJet Rewards program.
Air Transat is expanding its 2026 summer program with two new non-stop routes from Montreal to Dakar (DSS), Senegal, and Reykjavik (KEF), Iceland. The airline is also increasing the frequency of its flights to Valencia (VLC), Spain, due to the popularity of this destination, which was launched in the summer of 2025.
WestJet says its is encouraged by the government’s plans to unlock the economic potential of affordable air travel through increasing the affordability of Canada’s aviation ecosystem.
The Federal Aviation Administration is forcing airlines to cut 10% of their flights at 40 of the busiest airports across the nation to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers during the ongoing government shutdown and ensure that flying remains safe.
Air Canada is looking beyond the U.S. as Canadians continue to shun their neighbour amid the trade war.
With 2026 marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Lufthansa, Germany’s national airline says it is using milestone as an opportunity to fundamentally redesign its onboard experience. Dubbed FOX – short for Future Onboard Experience – the reset will be introduced next Spring on long-haul routes with the aim of reinforcing Lufthansa’s premium claim.
Air Transat is enhancing its summer 2026 program with a new non-stop service between Montreal (YUL) and Agadir (AGA). This addition strengthens Air Transat’s presence in Morocco and responds to the strong demand from leisure travellers and the Moroccan community in Quebec.
Air Canada plans to launch flights to the U.S. out of Toronto’s island airport in a bid for business passengers that marks a direct challenge to rival Porter Airlines. The airline announced Thursday it will fly planes between Billy Bishop airport (YTZ) and New York (LaGuardia), Boston, Chicago (O’Hare) and Washington, D.C.’s (Dulles), starting next spring for a total of 10 daily return flights.
Passengers are living digital-first lives. They manage their finances, health, and mobility from their phones. But when it’s time to fly, they’re often still asked to queue, print, and repeat. And that has to change, according to leading aviation industry IT provider SITA, which says passengers are simply demanding that the aviation industry catch up to them.
Six months ago, Flair Airlines announced “Flair FWD,” a series of “transparent and customer-centric” experience enhancements the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCCD) promised will “deliver the best value in the Canadian skies without losing the affordable prices.” So, where does the airline’s bold initiative stand, er, fly?
The opportunity to open new markets is just one reason Air Canada network planners are eagerly anticipating the arrival into its fleet of the airline’s first Airbus A321XLR in 2026. While the first delivery of the aircraft is “on the horizon,” logistically it won’t likely be drafted into service before next summer, says the company.
Air Canada resumed flights to Israel late last week (Oct. 9), the latest carrier to return to Israel following similar moves by United and Delta. The Canadian carrier had been scheduled to resume service to Tel Aviv (TLV) on Sept. 8 but postponed implementation by a month due to what it called “geopolitical uncertainly in the region.”
Air Transat has begun its summer 2026 route roll-out with the announcement of new international routes and annualization of several southern services from Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto – with “further developments” to follow in the coming weeks.
A working paper from IATA that suggested raising the retirement age of pilots to help mitigate a shortage of personnel across the industry was soundly rejected by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at its 42nd Assembly in Montreal.
Porter Airlines is announcing a significant expansion of its 2025-26 winter schedule, increasing flights to southern destinations by up to 25% during peak travel periods and unveiling four new routes, including its first transborder service from Vancouver (to Phoenix).
Citing the “profound changes” brought about by digitization and artificial intelligence, Lufthansa Group says it will shed 4,000 jobs by 2030 – even as the company is reporting strong demand for air travel and predicted stronger profits in years ahead.
Boeing is getting back the ability to perform final safety inspections on 737 Max jetliners and certify them for flight more than six years after crashes of the then-new model killed 346 people.
American Airlines and Porter Airlines are teaming up on a new codeshare partnership to give customers more options for cross-border travel. Porter will place its code on select American transborder and domestic flights, giving passengers seamless access to more destinations when travelling from Canada.
WestJet celebrated Hope Air’s annual Haul for Hope in Calgary Sept. 24 with a record number of all-WestJet employee teams competing to haul a 67,000-pound Q400 aircraft to raise money for Hope Air. Of the total teams in Calgary competing, 10 were comprised of WestJet employees from across all areas of the business, signifying care and commitment to community investment.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is following through on his threat to force Delta and Aeromexico to dissolve their longtime partnership because of his concerns that Mexico isn’t being fair to U.S. airlines.
Spirit Airlines plans to furlough 1,800 flight attendants before the end of the year, the cash-strapped budget carrier said Monday. The company said it made the “difficult decision” to put cabin crew members on temporary leave to match staffing needs with expected flight demand during Spirit’s second bankruptcy in a year.
Air Canada has announced changes to its regional network that include new flights connecting Ottawa to both Fredericton and Moncton beginning Dec. 15 and non-stop flights from Vancouver to Fort McMurray starting Dec. 2. The airline is also increasing flights from Toronto to Sudbury as of Feb. 1, 2026.
With elbows-tourism flourishing, Air Canada has begun a major upgrade program on its regional fleet. Under the initiative, 25 De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft operated for Air Canada Express by Jazz Aviation LP (Jazz) will undergo a full cabin redesign to install new seating, new interiors and, on select aircraft initially, flying from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, free Wi-Fi.
Now it’s their turn: The union representing WestJet flight attendants says it has given the airline notice to begin contract talks with a key issue being compensation for unpaid work. CUPE 8125 said it has served notice to bargain a new collective agreement with its current contract set to expire on Dec. 31. The union says WestJet flight attendants are seeking better treatment.