Airlines
Cayman Islands Set To Welcome Back Canadians
The Cayman Islands are gearing up to welcome Canadians back this winter as both Air Canada and WestJet have announced that they’ll be re-introducing their service to the Caribbean destination. Air Canada Rouge begins non-stop service as of Dec. 4, 2021, while WestJet will return on Dec. 16. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman began welcoming fully vaccinated international leisure guests without quarantine as of Nov. 20, 2021. In March 2020, the Cayman Islands government quickly closed its borders to international air and sea arrivals, resulting in the effective...
Air Transat Launches Virtual Interlining Service
Air Transat has launched connectair by Air Transat service. Using this virtual interlining platform, travellers can now combine Air Transat flights with flights from partner airlines such as British airline easyJet and Colombian airline Avianca to travel to even more destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South America. Additional partners will gradually join the platform to enrich the range of destinations. Annick Guérard, president and Chief Executive Officer of Transat, said: “With connectair by Air Transat, we are becoming the first...
Air Canada Picks Farenexus Group For Agency Platform
Air Canada has picked Farenexus as the technology partner to build a platform to power its new AC Connex NDC booking platform for its agency partners. The AC Connex platform is a unique offering to the agency community that provides full Air Canada NDC content with profile integration to optimize the workflow for agencies. All Air Canada agency partners can use the AC Connex platform to ensure their agents can offer all the benefits that Air Canada’s NDC content will bring to agencies’ customers. Ravi Kumar Panwar, CEO of FareNexus Group, said: “We are very pleased to have...
Taking Off To Net-Zero
IATA is welcoming commitments towards strengthening climate action made at COP26, and called on the global efforts to decarbonize aviation to be supported with practical, effective government policies. Management of international aviation’s climate commitments sits outside of the COP process and is the responsibility of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Nevertheless, airlines at the 77th IATA AGM in Boston, October, agreed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with the stretch Paris agreement target to keep global warming to 1.5...
Air Transat, WestJet Cooperating On Transatlantic Codeshare
Air Transat and WestJet have agreed to cooperate on a codeshare that will soon allow customers to book transatlantic travel involving both carriers on a single ticket with through-checked bags. The cooperation will bring more choice to consumers by enabling transatlantic codeshare connections above and beyond what the carriers offer with their own flights. Annick Guérard, president and CEO of Transat, said: “We are very excited to join forces with WestJet in what I am sure will be a successful collaboration. This agreement is a first milestone in our strategy to grow and...
WestJet Expanding Network To Include Calgary-Heathrow
WestJet will be adding non-stop service to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) beginning early Spring 2022. As the carrier continues to increase global connectivity from Western Canada, the addition of non-stop service between Calgary and London-Heathrow signals confidence in the recovery of business and leisure travel between both destinations. John Weatherill, chief commercial officer for WestJet, said that: “As the airline with the most flights from Alberta, this is an important recovery milestone as we forge new connections between Canada and one of the world's most sought after...
Air Canada Exiting Canadian Government Financial Support
With an improved liquidity position and the ongoing recovery from the pandemic, Air Canada says it is withdrawing from further government of Canada financial support. The support package, announced in April 2021, provided the carrier access to interest bearing loans of $5.375 billion through several separate credit facilities. To date, Air Canada has only accessed the facility solely dedicated to refunding customers' non-refundable tickets, while all other remaining facilities totaling $3.975 billion have not been used. Air Canada’s president and chief executive officer, Michael...
UPDATE: PCR Tests Dumped For 72 Hour Trips By Canadians
Canada’s Health Minister, Jean-Yves Duclos announced that effective Nov. 30, 2021, fully vaccinated individuals with right of entry to Canada who depart and re-enter the country within 72 hours of leaving Canada will not have to present a pre-entry molecular test. The Health Minister emphasized that this exemption is only for trips originating in Canada taken by fully vaccinated Canadian citizens, permanent residents or individuals registered under the Indian Act, who depart and re-enter by land or by air and can demonstrate that they have been away from Canada for less than 72...