Airlines
Cathay Celebrates 20 Years of Flying to Toronto
Champagne corks are certain to be popping onboard Cathay Pacific flights today (June 9) as the airline celebrates 20 years flying between Toronto and Hong Kong. On June 9, 1994 Cathay Pacific was the first airline to offer fastest same-plane service with its three times weekly B747-400 flights between Toronto and Hong Kong, with a technical stopover in Anchorage. Over 20 years the airline has increased the number of passenger flights to 10 flights weekly, now non-stop and flown by the fuel-efficient Boeing 777-300ER ultra-long haul aircraft. The airline also operates two times...
A Perfect Landing
Not to put too fine a point on it, Lufthansa is setting a course for a busy summer out of Canada in 2014. The carrier celebrated the launch of its new Toronto-Munich flight late last week and in mid-May, it marked the launch of Montreal-Frankfurt service. Both flights are seasonal, operating daily through to the end of October. Of the Toronto-Munich launch, Hans De Haan, director, Lufthansa Group Canada, said, “This reflects Lufthansa’s commitment to the Canadian market and the high level of demand we are seeing here. The new route is a great addition to our services by adding more...
Air Canada Reports Record May Load Factor
For the month of May, Air Canada reported a record system load factor of 83.3%, versus 81.8% in May 2013, an increase of 1.5 percentage points on a system-wide capacity increase of 8.1%. On this additional capacity, system wide traffic for May increased 10.1%. Air Canada reports traffic results on a system-wide basis, including Air Canada rouge, which began operations on July 1, 2013, and regional airlines from which Air Canada purchases capacity. “I am pleased to report a record load factor of 83.3% for the month of May,” said Air Canada president Calin Rovinescu. “Air Canada...
New Heathrow Terminal 2 Starts Operations
The new Terminal 2 -- home of Star Alliance at Heathrow -- threw open its doors to welcome its first passengers yesterday (June 4), marking the start of a new travel experience for the 12 million Star Alliance passengers who pass through this leading UK airport every year. Star Alliance member airline United was the first to move into the new facility, known as Terminal 2 - the Queen’s Terminal for her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. All 23 Star Alliance airlines operating Heathrow will move over the next six months: the first time all member airlines will be collocated at the airport....
Fixing The Mismatch
The world’s scheduled airlines are expected to rake in some $750 billion this year but will only make a net profit of $18 billion – a paltry margin of only 2.4% or $5.42 for every passenger carried, reports Press Today editor, Mike Dunbar from IATA's AGM in Qatar. And that’s partly due to a crippling tax burden of $120 billion that incoming board chair of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Calin Rovinescu says he’s determined to tackle. The Air Canada CEO, who moved into the IATA post at this week’s annual meeting in Doha, explained, ``Some governments are...
Etihad Expands Codeshare with Jet Airways
Etihad Airways has announced a major expansion of its codeshare agreement with Jet Airways, offering travellers enhanced connections throughout India, and linking India with even more destinations worldwide. The two airlines have obtained regulatory approval to codeshare on 43 additional routes, bringing the total number of services in their codeshare agreement to 71. As part of the expansion, Etihad Airways has placed its “EY” code on domestic services in India for the first time, with the codeshare agreement now including 31 Jet Airways routes from hubs in Mumbai, Delhi,...
WestJet Gives the Go-Ahead for PEDs
WestJet reports that guests now have full access to their personal electronic devices (PEDs) during all phases of flight, including taxi-in and out, take-off and landing in non-transmitting or flight mode, starting immediately. “We have been hard at work to meet all necessary conditions required for the safe operation of PEDs on board our Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft,” said Bob Cummings, WestJet executive vice-president, Sales, Marketing and Guest Experience. “Beginning today (June 2), all WestJet guests will have access to their favourite device for the duration of their...
AC St. John’s-London Service to Go Year Round
Air Canada reports that its non-stop St. John’s to London Heathrow, UK flights will operate year-round beginning Oct. 26. “Air Canada is pleased to offer the only year-round non-stop flights between St. John’s and London Heathrow. On-going support for the seasonal service by the local community over the past several years now enables us to extend it and offer travellers in Newfoundland and Labrador the convenience of year-round flights to London Heathrow,” said Benjamin Smith, executive vice-president and chief commercial officer at Air Canada. “Our customers in Newfoundland...