Airlines
Air Canada receives strike notice issues lockout notice in response
Air Canada has issued the statutory 72-hour lockout notice to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) -- representing 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge -- after the union provided notice it intends to begin a strike. In order to provide customers certainty, Air Canada will begin a phased wind down of most of its operations to be completed over the next three days. The airline has also sought government-directed arbitration to resolve the situation. Air Canada said that despite eight months of good faith negotiations that included the assistance of...
Cathay Pacific names Cindy Lam as Senior Vice President Americas
Cathay Pacific has appointed Cindy Lam as Senior Vice President, Americas. Starting Sept. 1, 2025, Lam will lead Cathay’s strategic vision and business operations in the region, covering passenger travel, cargo and lifestyle. Lam brings nearly 24 years of distinguished service at Cathay Pacific, having built an exceptional career spanning multiple continents and diverse operational areas. Succeeding Chris Vanden Hooven, who will be retiring, Cindy Lam said: "I am honoured to take on this leadership role for Cathay in the Americas, where Cathay has a long history spanning a...
Air Canada Declares an Impasse in CUPE Negotiations
Air Canada says that negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees -- representing 10,000 Flight Attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge -- have reached an impasse. The parties will be in a position to issue a statutory 72-hour strike or lockout notice at 12:01 am Eastern Time August 13, shutting down the airline as early as August 16. The airline said that it “now believes the talks are at an impasse, after the union submitted a counteroffer seeking exorbitant increases, beyond those presented in earlier submissions, and today rejected an offer by the company to...
Union “respectfully declines” Air Canada proposal for arbitration
In a post on its website, CUPE – the union representing Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights attendants – has acknowledged that it has received a proposal from Air Canada to resolve the current contract negotiations through arbitration and that it has declined to accept the airline’s proposal. Wesley Lesosky President, Air Canada Component of CUPE, said in a written response to Air Canada that: “While we appreciate your acknowledgment of the efforts made at the bargaining table over the past nine months, the Air Canada Component of CUPE firmly believes that the most...
Virgin Atlantic names Dave Hodges as Vice President, Americas
Virgin Atlantic has appointed Dave Hodges as its new Vice President, Americas, effective Oct. 1, 2025. Hodges has been at Virgin Atlantic for 12 years, with roles ranging from government affairs, cabin crew operations, and as Country Manager for India, Virgin Atlantic’s third largest market behind the UK and the US. Currently, he serves as the Head of Heathrow, where he oversees the airline’s operation and presence at its home hub airport. In this cross-functional leadership role, Hodges will be located in Atlanta, overseeing Virgin Atlantic teams across the US, Canada,...
Air North reintroduces seasonal service between Vancouver and Yellowknife
Air North has announced the return of its seasonal, non-stop service between Vancouver and Yellowknife, beginning Mon., Nov. 24, 2025. The flights will which depart twice weekly until March 27, 2026. The airlines said that this reinstated route enhances direct air travel between British Columbia and the Northwest Territories; and it also enables near year-round air service between Whitehorse and Yellowknife: via Vancouver in the winter and through Air North’s eastern gateway in Ontario during the summer. The service will play a key role in enhancing northern transportation links...
Turkish Airlines: 7,708 Canadian Travel Advisors Can’t Be Wrong
In today’s globe, Turkiye is truly the nexus of the world, a country in both Europe and Asia and a relatively short distance to much of Africa. On June 19th at the Agent’s Choice Awards Gala, the Canadian travel agent community chose Turkish Airlines as the winner of the first-ever Airline – Stopover award. In 2019 Istanbul opened its brand-new airport, which is now the second busiest airport in both Europe and the Middle East, and provides the hub for the national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines. Competing with some of the most impressive airline networks in the world,...
Air Transat takes off to Rio, strengthens 2025-2026 winter program
Air Transat has unveiled the details of new non-stop service to Rio de Janeiro from both Toronto and Montreal. The flights will be operated with the Airbus A330 aircraft; twice weekly from Toronto (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and once weekly from Montreal (on Thursdays), where Air Transat will be the only carrier offering a non-stop service. This addition is part of a broader set of recent announcements that reinforce the company’s winter offering. And this winter, Air Transat will be operating a total of 14 new routes from its Canadian gateways, including several new destinations...