Airlines
Proposed Jet Fuel Tax Hike Called a ‘Travesty’
A proposed four-cent per litre hike in jet fuel taxes by the Ontario government has industry personnel up in arms – saying it will only lead to increased fares. In the latest provincial budget, the Ontario government is proposing a four cents per litre hike, phased in over four years, effective once amendments to legislation are approved later this year. Airlines currently pay four cents a litre in federal fuel tax for domestic flights, and depending on the province, may pay additional taxes on fuel used for both international and domestic travel. Marc-André O’Rourke,...
Air India Joins Star Alliance
Star Alliance has welcomed Air India as a full member of its global family of airlines, opening the national carrier’s strong domestic network in the fifth largest aviation market to Star Alliance customers worldwide. Air India now offers all Star Alliance customer benefits across its network and Air India’s customers enjoy the same benefits when they travel on any of the other 26 Star Alliance member airlines. This is an important day for us. We have said for many years that we needed a strong home carrier in the Indian market and by welcoming Air India to our Star Alliance family,...
AC Expands Curaçao Service
Air Canada is introducing new non-stop service from Montreal to Curaçao starting Jan. 1, 2015, as well as extending its seasonal flights between Toronto and the Caribbean island to year-round service. The Montreal-Curaçao flight will operate weekly, flying every Thursday. The Air Canada route between Toronto and Curaçao will operate year-round, flying every Friday, starting Nov....
Air Transat Offers Free On-Demand Entertainment
Transat is now offering passengers free on-demand entertainment on all its European flights, and on most of its flights to Sun destinations. “We continue to invest in its fleet in order to provide passengers with the best possible in-flight experience in the country. After equipping our Airbus A330s with individual touch screens, we are pleased to offers passengers travelling on our Airbus A310s access to onboard individual entertainment through their own personal tablets, smart phones – iOS and Android – and laptops,” said Jean-François Lemay, general manager of Air Transat. The...
Korean Air Boosts China Service
Korean Air is adding more than a dozen weekly flights to China. In addition to more flights, Korean Air is improving its schedule from Beijing to its Incheon hub, offering new early morning departures with same-day connections to the central and eastern regions of North America. The airline also has increased service between Incheon and Guangzhou, adding three weekly flights to that city. In all, Korean Air is increasing flights to six Chinese cities and adding 15 more flights to China each week. “We've said we're bullish on the Americas and our actions are speaking loud and clear,”...
Sunwing Off to Playa Blanca
Beginning Aug. 1, Sunwing Airlines will offer year-round direct flights from Toronto to the Playa Blanca Airport (also known as Scarlett Martinez International Airport) in Panama. This winter, Sunwing will also introduce flights to Playa Blanca Airport from several Quebec gateways, including Montreal starting in November, Quebec City starting in December, and Bagotville starting February 2015. “The Playa Blanca region is a popular destination with Sunwing travellers and these direct flights will dramatically improve our passengers' vacation experience,” said Andrew Dawson, COO...
Mokulele Celebrates Opening of Kalaeloa Airport
Mokulele Airlines hosted a grand opening celebration last week at its newest service location, Kalaeloa Airport on west Oahu, marking the successful conclusion of a year of preparations. Kalaeloa is located at the former Barber’s Point Naval Air Base John Rogers Field. The grand opening and inaugural flight took place July 1, 15 years to the day that the former base was closed and turned over to the State of Hawaii. July 1 marked the beginning of Mokulele’s daily non-stop service to Kahului, Maui from Kalaeloa, with six scheduled daily flights, three each...
WestJet Plans for Wide-Body Service
WestJet Airlines Ltd. reports that it is moving forward with plans that would see the airline fly its own wide-body aircraft as early as fall 2015. The airline has received the support of the WestJet Pilot Association and its board of directors, and is currently in the advanced stages of sourcing wide-body aircraft. “This is the natural, next-step evolution for WestJet,” said WestJet president and CEO Gregg Saretsky (pictured). “It’s made possible by our low-cost business model, growing network strength, airline partnerships and our award-winning brand...