Airlines
Porter takes off from Ottawa with five sun routes
Porter Airlines is taking off from Ottawa with the launch of its winter schedule featuring five southern destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica. The carrier already launched weekly flights from Ottawa to Nassau on Dec. 13 and six time weekly flights to Puerto Vallarta also on Dec. 13. On Dec. 17, Porter will take off from Ottawa to Cancun with 6 flights weekly and to Liberia, Costa Rica daily service. It will add twice weekly service to Grand Cayman on Dec. 19. Kevin Jackson, president, Porter Airlines, said that: “The launch of these routes is a celebration of...
Feel the warmth as Air Canada shows its appreciation to its partners
It was a ‘feel good’ evening in Toronto late last week (Dec. 11) as Air Canada welcomed it about 140 of its top industry partners and customers at the Sheraton Centre Toronto for the airline’s annual Customer Appreciation Event. Toronto was the wrap-up for a trio of appreciation events which included stops in Vancouver and Montreal. But along with showing its appreciation to its partners, Air Canada also showed its appreciation for the efforts of its Vice President Global Sales and Air Canada Vacations, Lisa Pierce who is retiring on Dec. 31 of this year. As Vincent...
IATA wants blocked airline funds released
IATA is reporting that USD 1.2 billion in airline funds are blocked from repatriation by governments as of the end of October 2025. A marginal improvement of USD 100 million has been made since last reported in April 2025. Out of total blocked funds reported, 93% are trapped in Africa and Middle East (AME). IATA called on governments to lift all restrictions on currency repatriation and allow airlines to access their revenues in U.S. dollars from ticket sales, cargo sales and other activities, as guaranteed in bilateral air service agreements and treaty obligations. Restrictions...
Porter Airlines takes off to Florida, Mexico from Hamilton
Porter Airlines is expanding its network from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM), with new international, nonstop service to Florida and Mexico. The carrier took off to Orlando (MCO) on Dec. 12 and to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), on Dec. 13; with both routes offering three roundtrips weekly to begin with. Porter will also start flights from Hamilton to Mexico, with Cancun (CUN) beginning Dec. 17, and operating up to four weekly roundtrips, while Puerto Vallarta (PVR) commences on Dec. 18, with two weekly roundtrips. Andrew Pierce, vice president, network planning and...
Lufthansa Group takes off with new Brand Identity
The Lufthansa Group has unveiled a new brand identity that’s designed to make the strength of the Lufthansa Group more visible. For customers, service offerings will be bundled under the Group brand, making them even more clearly recognizable. Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer Lufthansa Group, said that: “The Lufthansa Group is evolving from a group of airlines into an integrated airline group. The new brand identity is therefore more than just a redesign; it is a strategic milestone.” Vranckx continued: “In a challenging environment, this step creates a visual anchor...
Virgin Atlantic unveils new travel planning Concierge
Virgin Atlantic has unveiled its Virgin Atlantic Concierge across both the Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays websites, giving every guest access to an intelligent, always-on travel companion that redefines how journeys are planned and booked. Developed in collaboration with OpenAI and Tomoro teams, Virgin Atlantic is the first European airline to use OpenAI’s advanced voice models through its API to create an on-brand, personalized customer interaction. The digital Concierge combines the warmth and personality of Virgin Atlantic with cutting-edge AI...
Holiday Dreams Take Flight with Air Canada
Once again, Air Canada is celebrating the holiday season with a heartwarming new spot, Holiday Dreams Take Flight. This year’s live-action spot focuses on Dreams Take Flight, a long-running initiative powered by Air Canada employees, volunteers, sponsors and the Air Canada Foundation. Holiday Dreams Take Flight was launched this week in multiple forms – a combination of 90-second, 30-second and 15-second versions will be shown on social media and digital platforms. The video follows Kaiennenhawi (Hawi), a seven-year-old girl from the Kanien’kehà:ka community of Akwesasne,...
IATA reports European Air Traffic Control Delays Double Over Last Decade
In a newly released report, IATA reveals that Air Traffic Control (ATC) delays in Europe have more than doubled over the last decade, causing significant disruption for passengers. Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) delays in the region rose by 114% in the period 2015-2024. This is against a rise of only 6.7% in flight numbers over the same period. The analysis excluded delays caused by weather. Flight cancellations induced by ATC strikes were also not included in the analysis. Capacity limitations and staff shortages account for the majority of delays, issues that have been known...