Airlines
Feds stop any immediate disruption of Air Canada service
Canada's Minister of Labour, Lisa Raitt, has issued a referral pursuant to the Canada Labour Code, to determine the activities that Air Canada may be required to maintain as relates to the health and safety of Canadians. As a result of this CIRB referral, the IAMAW cannot commence a strike and Air Canada cannot lock out its pilots at least until this matter has been determined by the board. The strike deadline by the IAMAW and Air Canada's lockout notice to ACPA, both originally scheduled for 00:01 am ET on March 12 have therefore no effect. There will therefore be no disruption of service...
AC pilots will vote on AC offer
Air Canada pilots are going to vote on the latest offer from Air Canada, however, their association is recommending that they reject the offer and "send a message to their employer to get serious about negotiations." Captain Paul Strachan, president of the Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA), said in a statement that: "The corporation pulled a dramatic u-turn yesterday [March 7] on the first day of our return to bargaining. After committing to a federal mediation process that was to last up to 180 days, the corporation instead chose to table what it termed its 'final' offer only 23 days into...
Air Canada set to lock out pilots
Air Canada has given notice that it will lock out its pilots effective 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 12, pursuant to the Canada Labour Code. According to officials, the airline tabled its "final and best offer"to ACPA yesterday, the union representing its pilots in order to bring finality to a set of negotiations that began 18 months ago and bring stability for its customers. The proposal expired at noon today, and as it was not accepted by ACPA by that time, Air Canada issued the notice. "We need to bring closure to the ongoing climate of labour uncertainty at Air Canada which is affecting our...
Levy on arriving air passengers suggested: CTC
The time has come for this country's tourist trade to consider calling for a levy on air passengers arriving in Canada, with the money raised used to help promote Canada as a tourism destination internationally, says the head of the Canadian Tourism Commission. Michele McKenzie said during a March 6 panel discussion during the Hotel Association of Canada's annual conference in Toronto that such a levy should be considered, adding they're common in other countries. McKenzie says funds should be used to promote Canadian tourism alone, and not wind up in general government revenues as the hotel...
Improving the competitiveness of Canadian aviation
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called upon Canada's policy makers to take actions to improve the competitiveness of the country's aviation sector including reducing the heavy tax burden. "Canada is home to leading global aviation organizations including IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Airports Council International (ACI), and has one of the world's most important aerospace sectors. Yet government policies including a high tax burden hamper aviation's ability to serve as an even greater catalyst for economic growth and jobs creation,"said IATA...
Globus, LOT offer Eastern Europe savings
The mysteries and charms of Eastern Europe are now more accessible thanks to appealing sale prices currently being offered by the Globus family of brands. Travellers booking a holiday by March 31 can save $300 p.p. when booking a business class air-inclusive vacation using LOT Airlines ($100 p.p. off economy class). LOT features non-stop flights between Toronto and Warsaw, with convenient connecting fares on Air Canada from a host of cities across the country. Applicable tours include two of Globus' escorted coach tours (German Highlights and Turkish Delight); and five Cosmos' value escorted...
Passenger traffic continues to rise: IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports that global traffic results for January show a 5.7% rise in passenger demand, but an 8% decline in air freight compared to the same month in 2011. The occurrence of Chinese New Year in January (rather than in February as in 2011) exaggerated the increase in passenger demand and the fall in air freight. Stripping this out, the underlying trend was for stronger passenger growth, while stabilized weakness in cargo markets continues. "The year started with some hopeful news on business confidence. It appears that freight markets have...