Airlines
WestJet ‘Fun ‘n Festival Series’ heads for new heights
WestJet has announced details of its "Fun 'n Festival Series"line-up. According to officials, as the official airline of festival fun, WestJetters will be in attendance at more than 40 Canadian festivals from coast to coast. New sponsorships this year include the Festival d'été in Quebec City, the Cathedral Village Arts Festival in Regina, the City of Victoria's 150th Anniversary and the CMT Country Music Festival in Barrie, Ont., among others. "This is an exciting time for our airline,"said Richard Bartrem, WestJet vice-president, Communications and Community Relations. "At...
LOT offers bonus commission for April bookings
LOT is offering agencies 12% upfront commission -- plus agents get $112 cash incentive for eligible ticketed transatlantic business class booking made through April 30 to most LOT destinations. The offer is valid for departures through December. Tickets must be issued in Canada or the US on a transatlantic published through fare to an eligible LOT destination in Poland, Europe or the Middle East. Tickets must include the TOUR CODE - LOTB2012 and tickets must be registered on LOTtravelagents.com (trade only) for incentive....
Etihad revenues soar
Etihad Airways continued its impressive growth in the first quarter of 2012 with a 28% rise in revenue to US$989 million over the corresponding period in 2011 and passenger numbers soaring by 500,000 to 2.4 million. Etihad president and CEO James Hogan commented, "We met all our revenue targets and budget estimates in the first quarter, despite the challenging economic conditions confronting the international community. Despite the tough economic times we believe our business model of organic network growth combined with codeshare partnerships and strategic equity investments will enable us...
WestJet By The Numbers
March was a good month for WestJet. The carrier reported a load factor of 86.2%, while its revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 9% year over year and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 7% over the same period. In fact, the carrier flew nearly 104,000 more guests this March compared to March of last year. WestJet president and CEO, Gregg Saretsky observed that, "Earning Canada's preferred airline status while carrying record traffic would not have been possible without WestJetters - our caring and friendly owners who are committed to the airline's ongoing...
Porter Posts Gains
Porter Airlines has reported a record March load factor, filling 59.8% of available seats which represents a 10.2% gain over the previous year. March results show 117.2 million Available Seat Miles (ASMs) and 70.1 million Revenue Passenger Miles (RPMs). ASMs increased 20% from 97.6 million and RPMs grew 44.8% compared to 48.4 million last year. Porter's president and CEO, Robert Deluce commented: "March has become a stronger month for Porter with the development of seasonal leisure routes and a passenger base that travels year-round for business and pleasure. The first quarter finished on a...
Dragonair adds Jeju, Chiang Mai to network
Hong Kong's Dragonair has added three more destinations to its regional network, with new services to Jeju in South Korea and Chiang Mai in Thailand together with the resumption of scheduled services to Taichung. The Jeju service will begin May 1 with three flights a week. Chiang Mai will be a seasonal scheduled service with four flights a week operating from July 1 to the end of September. Taichung, meanwhile, will be served by two flights a day starting May 14. All three routes will be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. When Jeju and Chiang Mai come online, Dragonair will be the only airline...
Strong performance, fragile outlook: IATA
IATA reports that global traffic results for Feb. 2012 were on the rise, with passenger demand increasing by 8.6% compared to Feb. 2011. However, IATA also points out that several factors inflated February 2012 results and distorted comparisons with the year-ago period. Those factors included weaker traffic during the Arab Spring a year ago and the occurrence of Carnival in Brazil in February, a month earlier than in 2011. When comparing to January 2012 levels, the picture becomes much more moderate, with passenger demand growing by just 0.4%. Global passenger capacity expanded by 7.4%...
Porter set for summer service to Tremblant
Porter Airlines has confirmed it will offer a third year of summer service to Mont Tremblant, Quebec, with four weekly flights between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Mont Tremblant International Airport. Service begins on June 15, and concludes on Sept. 16. Already a popular winter route, Mont Tremblant is also a warm weather favourite for families and outdoor enthusiasts. Options include canoeing, camping, cycling, golfing and hiking. Flights will operate on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays....