Airlines
Avianca Takes Off With Toronto-Bogota Flights
Avianca is now flying Toronto-Bogota route, offering close to 4,000 weekly seats and three weekly frequencies. Rolando Damas, Avianca's general director for North America, the Caribbean, and Asia, said: “We are expanding our network to offer our clients point-to-point connection. We want our Canadian clients to have the best travel experience at competitive prices, to explore Latin America through one of the largest networks in the region.” Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia, the government agency in charge of promoting tourism in Colombia, commented: “We celebrate the...
Canada Jetlines Selects NAVBLUE
Canada Jetlines Operations Ltd has signed a multi-year agreement with NAVBLUE, designed to incorporate dynamic aviation solutions into its flight operations. These solutions will provide immediate efficiencies, reducing aircraft operating costs, and environmental impact to the minimum for the new Canadian carrier. NAVBLUE’s implemented solutions would include a suite of integrated programs, allowing for all-encompassing customization of an array of aviation products, such as, N-Flight Planning, N-Tracking, Navigation+, Charts+, Flysmart+, EFB Management, Hosted Gateaway, FDA...
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Welcomes Back Canadians
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is looking forward to welcoming back Canadian visitors, as Air Canada resumes its weekly, non-stop flights from Toronto on Dec. 6. Glen Beache, CEO of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority (SVGTA), said: “We are very excited to welcome back our Canadian friends after such an extended absence and are delighted with the return of Air Canada’s non-stop service from Toronto to St. Vincent. Air Canada was the first North American carrier to operate flights here and they will once again be instrumental in increasing visitation.” In...
Government Response Threatening Recovery
IATA reports that while the recovery in air travel continued in October – with broad-based improvements in both domestic and international markets -- the imposition of travel bans by governments, against the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO), could threaten the sector’s recovery. Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to October 2019, which followed a normal demand pattern. Those results indicate that: Total demand for air travel in October 2021...
Porter Partners With Allianz Global Assistance
Porter Airlines has partnered with Allianz Global Assistance in a move that sees Allianz Global Assistance become the carrier’s new travel insurance provider, and offering its customers a variety of insurance products and options. Kevin Jackson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Porter Airlines, explained: “We’re giving Porter customers more insurance options, so they can feel comfortable and prepared for their unique travel needs. Porter Airlines. “Porter and Allianz are prepared to provide quality customer support for those looking to add these policies...
U.S. Tightening Testing Protocols
Early next week, the United States will tighten pre-departure testing protocols by requiring all inbound international travellers to test within one day of departure globally, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. In making the announcement, the Biden Administration indicated that the tighter testing timeline provides an added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant. As well, the Biden Administration will continue to require masking during international or other public travel – as well as in transportation hubs such as...
Canada Ramps Up Border, Testing Measures Again
The federal government is again ramping up border measures following the World Health Organization announcement that it had classified B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern called Omicron. Since the WHO's announcement, Omicron has been found in a number of countries and regions, including a number of travel-related cases confirmed in Canada. As a result, the Canadian government is expanding the list of countries with entry prohibitions – which it announced on Nov. 26 – to include Egypt, Nigeria and Malawi. The other countries on that list are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique,...
WestJet Names Schuster As Executive VP, CLO
WestJet has appointed Karl Schuster, as its Executive Vice-President and Chief Loyalty Officer (CLO). Schuster will join the WestJet executive leadership team in early 2022, following the completion of the immigration process. He has over 19 years of loyalty experience, including six years as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Velocity Frequent Flyer, Virgin Australia's loyalty program. During his time at Virgin Australia, Schuster grew Velocity to be one of the largest loyalty programs in Australia, significantly increasing their annual revenue; increasing membership...