Airlines
6,900 Employees Depart WestJet
Yesterday (March 24), WestJet announced that 6,900 employees are leaving the organization — with 90% of those leaving voluntarily — resulting in the same amount of staff the airline had in 2003. “6,900 WestJetters are receiving notices confirming early retirements, early outs and both voluntary and involuntary leaves,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “This is devastating news for all WestJetters. The fact that we avoided a potentially worse outcome is testament to the spirit and selfless attitude demonstrated by our people, who have enabled WestJet to continue...
Air Canada’s Repatriation Efforts Continue
Air Canada will operate six special flights from Lima, Barcelona and Quito this week to enable Canadians stranded abroad to return home. The flights, operated in collaboration with the Government of Canada, are part of Air Canada's ongoing efforts to repatriate Canadians. “Several hundred Canadians trapped in Peru, Ecuador and Spain since the imposition of restrictive travel measures by the authorities will finally be able to return home. Air Canada remains fully mobilized dealing with this global health crisis and we have committed to keep operating internationally, transborder...
KLM Operating Reduced Network
KLM says it will start its summer schedule with a significantly reduced network. From March 29 until and including May 3, the carrier plans to fly to 25 intercontinental and 32 European destinations. During this period, KLM will fly according to an adjusted schedule, which amounts to about 10% of its normal number of flights. KLM will operate its intercontinental network with Boeing 777s and 787s. Its Boeing 747s will be taken out of the fleet early. The remaining aircraft will be parked at Schiphol. A plan for this is currently being drawn up together with the airport. From...
Etihad Suspends Flights, Transit Services
Etihad Airways will temporarily suspend all flights from March 25 for an initial period of 14 days, following a decision by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). This decision has been made to limit the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and to protect citizens, residents, and international travelers. The carrier said that it regretted any inconvenience caused and continues to follow UAE and international government and regulatory authority directives and is applying a contingency plan to assist affected...
A Staggering Number
It is a staggering number. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) says that 1 million jobs are being lost every day in the travel and tourism sector due to the sweeping effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The growing job losses, the WTTC reports, are affecting every level of the industry and are gathering pace, as countries go into lockdown to tackle the virus. The industry association points to the widespread closure of hotels, suspension of the majority of international and domestic airline flights, cessation of cruise lines operations and growing global travel bans are...
Transat Confirms Temporary Layoffs
Transat A.T. confirmed today that it was temporarily laying off 70% of its workforce in Canada. The Montreal-headquartered company also said that its final flight, before the full suspension of its operations, is scheduled for April 1. Transat announced on March 18 a gradual temporary halting of all its flights until April 18. Operations are being stopped gradually in order to enable Transat to repatriate as many of its customers as possible to their home countries. As of March 18, some 65,000 Canadian Transat customers were at Sun or Europe destinations. By March 22, about...
SAA Suspends International Flights
South African Airways (SAA) is immediately suspending all international operations until May 31, 2020 in response to a government travel ban aimed at stopping the transmission of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). The COVID-19 pandemic and attendant travel restrictions, resulted in substantial decline in demand for air travel. The situation caused many airlines across the world to ground aircraft, release their employees, and to cancel flights. In the case of SAA, this decision means that SAA will only render services on its regional and domestic routes. Following the declaration of the...
Air Tahiti Nui Completes World’s Longest Flight
On March 15, Air Tahiti Nui achieved a new milestone in aviation history with the completion of a 15-hour, 45-minute non-stop domestic and international flight from Faa’a International Airport in Tahiti to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, setting a new record for the world’s longest flight. The record-setting 9,765-mile journey on Air Tahiti Nui’s new Boeing 787-9 Tahitian Dreamliner was made possible by a crew of four pilots, next generation aircraft and eastbound tailwinds. The French Polynesian airline usually operates its Papeete to Paris route with a stopover in Los...