m1m2 wrote:

I don't know how often their site is updated, but https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/hom ... html#/na-1 shows Halifax to Gander being reduced to 4 flights per week and St. John's to Toronto being reduced to one per day. It also shows Halifax to Goose Bay at three flights per week.

Not sure who is right, the news or what I found on the AC site.

cirrusdragoon wrote:

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/mobile/quebec-businessman-peladeau-calls-on-federal-government-to-block-sale-of-beleaguered-air-transat-1.5262179

Pierre Karl Péladeau is calling on Ottawa to block the sale of Air Transat to Air Canada.

This investor is ludicrous to think that they can over take Air Canada’s proposal. For one he has never run an airline. His only association with the transportation sector remains his recent purchase of a bankrupt Montreal electric taxi venture that had tried and failed to take on Uber.

Earlier, it was reported that Mr Peladeau was offering $6 per share for the company, yet it was debunked by Air Transat . He was only offering the same no better than Air Canada at $5 per share. Mr Peladeau’s offer lacks binding, fully committed financing or evidence of sufficient cash on hand for the purpose of making the acquisition.

In a statement from Air Transat:

“This offer, without demonstrated committed financing, appears designed to attempt to adversely influence the regulatory approval process by suggesting that an alternative exists, should the regulatory authorities choose to reject the arrangement between Transat and Air Canada,” stated Jean-Yves Leblanc, president of the special committee of Transat’s board of directors.

Yes regulatory approval rubber stamping is not 100% certain for this transaction. What is certain is this rival bid from the Quebecor Mr Peladeau, seems to serve as nothing more than a distraction to the relevant approving authorities , and I hope they see right through it.

danipawa wrote:

Airbus A319 -114 546 C-GBIP Air Canada ferried 11jan21 YYZ-MCI prior part-out & scrap (+ 736 C-GAQX) ex D-AVYV
Airbus A320 -211 341 C-FPDN Air Canada ferried 05jan21 YYZ-MCI prior part-out & scrap (+ 330 C-FKOJ 11jan21 YYC-MCI) ex F-WWBR

https://www.skyliner-aviation.de/regdb.main?LC=nav4

billsalton92 wrote:

Appears the Trans Canada retro A319 C-FZUH has flown to Kansas as well

codyul wrote:

They're going fast now ;(

jmt18325 wrote:

People shouldn't have been on vacation. Good for them.

9252fly wrote:

AC just updated their domestic schedule thru to the end of March.

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/hom ... html#/na-1

Thenoflyzone wrote:

codyul wrote:

They're going fast now ;(

By my count, that's 5 A319s and 5 A320s that were scrapped this month.

A319

C-GBIP, C-FZUH, C-FZUJ, C-GAQX, C-GAQL

A320

C-FPWD, C-FPDN, C-FKPT, C-FKOJ, C-FNVV

jimbo737 wrote:

PWA732 wrote:

There is an awful witch-hunt going on in Canada right now. It certainly hurts Air Canada and it's very precarious position.

Governments from the Federal level down through the Provincial level and on to the Municipal level are berating, publicly humiliating, punishing and actually terminating the employment of those in the public eye who have travelled abroad over the past few months. It's absolutely sickening.

Either close the borders for personal travel, or don't. According to the government, immediate 14 days quarantine upon arrival home was working fine, and those in public service were fully compliant with this requirement before this "witch-hunt" began.

Many Canadians, including those in public service, have property abroad, or simply need to escape the "frozen north" to maintain some semblance of sanity over the winter. These persecuted public servants are following travel rules and restrictions that all Canadian travelers must follow. Apparently the rules are "not good enough" for public servants. I feel so bad for them to be terminated or persecuted for political "public optics". I hope they gather together and sue their respective government employers for wrongful dismissal when they fully intended to follow quarantine guidelines just like every other Canadian. These are very dark days.


Pete.

I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s absolutely shocking / disheartening to watch what’s going on in Canada these days. The casual acceptance of loss of freedom defies belief.

It’s mid January and even with all that tax payer funded federal / provincial bureaucracy, not a single coherent mass vax rollout plan has been announced in any province.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, they’re opening up vaccinations to any and all over the age of 65 as of next Tues, (it’s currently 80+), with on-line registrations and multiple 24/7 facilities that will soon be handling 12,000 vax a day, each, double current levels. Then are using mass sites such as NFL stadium parking lots to get the job done.

I’m not in that cohort, but likely in the next one or perhaps 2, and at this rate, that will be by the end of Feb.

Once they vax the 40% of the total population, ( the over 50 cohort), cases will continue, but it should eliminate roughly 75% of hospitalizations, 80% of ICU visits and 98% of fatalities.

At that point, hospital capacity is not at threat, and travel, jobs, economic activity and life can quickly get back to normal.

If that’s the goal, (and can there be any other possible goal??!), Canada is moving towards it at something less a snails pace with very little sense of urgency.

Scandalous.

jimbo737 wrote:

Once they vax the 40% of the total population, ( the over 50 cohort), cases will continue, but it should eliminate roughly 75% of hospitalizations, 80% of ICU visits and 98% of fatalities.

At that point, hospital capacity is not at threat, and travel, jobs, economic activity and life can quickly get back to normal.

If that’s the goal, (and can there be any other possible goal??!), Canada is moving towards it at something less a snails pace with very little sense of urgency.

Scandalous.

jimbo737 wrote:

I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s absolutely shocking / disheartening to watch what’s going on in Canada these days. The casual acceptance of loss of freedom defies belief.

It’s mid January and even with all that tax payer funded federal / provincial bureaucracy, not a single coherent mass vax rollout plan has been announced in any province.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, they’re opening up vaccinations to any and all over the age of 65 as of next Tues, (it’s currently 80+), with on-line registrations and multiple 24/7 facilities that will soon be handling 12,000 vax a day, each, double current levels. Then are using mass sites such as NFL stadium parking lots to get the job done.

I’m not in that cohort, but likely in the next one or perhaps 2, and at this rate, that will be by the end of Feb.

Once they vax the 40% of the total population, ( the over 50 cohort), cases will continue, but it should eliminate roughly 75% of hospitalizations, 80% of ICU visits and 98% of fatalities.

At that point, hospital capacity is not at threat, and travel, jobs, economic activity and life can quickly get back to normal.

If that’s the goal, (and can there be any other possible goal??!), Canada is moving towards it at something less a snails pace with very little sense of urgency.

Scandalous.

codyul wrote:

"Air Canada to expand cargo business through 767 sale, leaseback | News | Flight Global" https://www.flightglobal.com/fleets/air ... 64.article
They mention only 2 conversions.

Thenoflyzone wrote:

Going after VFR demand seems to be the gold standard for long haul flying nowadays.

CAI doesn’t surprise me. Decent sized O&D, and let’s not forget MS used to serve YUL a while back. RJ won’t be happy, as I’m sure they used to carry a decent amount of CAI traffic through AMM.

YUL-DEL, on the other hand, is a bit surprising. Didn’t think the market was large enough to support its own non stop. They must be going after QR to India, now that they will be upping DOH-YUL to daily service.

runway23 wrote:

Wonder what could be next KBP, MOW, MNL - these seem like possibilities seeing the expat communities in Canada (KBP perhaps from YUL because of PS already serving YYZ). Large communities but pretty much impossible/unlikely to be served due to US influence: IKA and BEY.

alexdelzotto wrote:

runway23 wrote:

Wonder what could be next KBP, MOW, MNL - these seem like possibilities seeing the expat communities in Canada (KBP perhaps from YUL because of PS already serving YYZ). Large communities but pretty much impossible/unlikely to be served due to US influence: IKA and BEY.

As huge as the YUL-BEY market is, the non stop is still further then ever.

Skywatcher wrote:

I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't cheaper to operate flights like this and funnel "surplus" connecting passengers via YUL rather than YYZ.
There's less back-tracking for YOW and Maritime originating passengers as well as certain American/Latin American ones as well.

SurfandSnow wrote:

Wow! AC's expansion in the Arab World continues! Are they still thinking about trying YUL-BEY?

FCOTSTW wrote:

On the other hand, AA and UA do not fly to North Africa at all, while DL only goes to CAI.

phatfarmlines wrote:

FCOTSTW wrote:

On the other hand, AA and UA do not fly to North Africa at all, while DL only goes to CAI.

DL stopped flying to CAI resulting from the Arab Spring uprising in 2011.

FCOTSTW wrote:

From a very rough standpoint, it might make sense. All of the main North African airlines have (or had, due to COVID) flights to North America:

- TU: YUL / JFK;
- AT: YUL / JFK / IAD;
- AH: YUL;
- MS: YUL / LAX / JFK / IAD

On the other hand, AA and UA do not fly to North Africa at all, while DL only goes to CAI.

A good opportunity to carve a niche market. Libya it out of this picture.

Thenoflyzone wrote:

Going after VFR demand seems to be the gold standard for long haul flying nowadays.

CAI doesn’t surprise me. Decent sized O&D, and let’s not forget MS used to serve YUL a while back. RJ won’t be happy, as I’m sure they used to carry a decent amount of CAI traffic through AMM.

YUL-DEL, on the other hand, is a bit surprising. Didn’t think the market was large enough to support its own non stop. They must be going after QR to India, now that they will be upping DOH-YUL to daily service.

behramjee wrote:

Thenoflyzone wrote:

Going after VFR demand seems to be the gold standard for long haul flying nowadays.

CAI doesn’t surprise me. Decent sized O&D, and let’s not forget MS used to serve YUL a while back. RJ won’t be happy, as I’m sure they used to carry a decent amount of CAI traffic through AMM.

YUL-DEL, on the other hand, is a bit surprising. Didn’t think the market was large enough to support its own non stop. They must be going after QR to India, now that they will be upping DOH-YUL to daily service.

YUL-CAI is mainly a summer seasonal market and in 2019, the full year p2p demand was 29,000 pax versus YYZ-CAI being 81,000 round trip.

YUL-DEL on the other hand is a bigger p2p market and yes in the current travel bubble context makes sense to operate using a fuel efficient B788. P2P demand in 2019 here was 42,000 pax and this flight will be used to also take pax onwads to YOW, YYC and YEG not only from DEL but also from all across India as pax would be buying a seperate domestic ticket to DEL and then fly AC.

All in all, both these routes in the current operating climate make commercial sense !

behramjee wrote:

YUL-CAI is mainly a summer seasonal market and in 2019, the full year p2p demand was 29,000 pax versus YYZ-CAI being 81,000 round trip.

YUL-DEL on the other hand is a bigger p2p market and yes in the current travel bubble context makes sense to operate using a fuel efficient B788. P2P demand in 2019 here was 42,000 pax and this flight will be used to also take pax onwads to YOW, YYC and YEG not only from DEL but also from all across India as pax would be buying a seperate domestic ticket to DEL and then fly AC.

All in all, both these routes in the current operating climate make commercial sense !

Thenoflyzone wrote:

behramjee wrote:

YUL-CAI is mainly a summer seasonal market and in 2019, the full year p2p demand was 29,000 pax versus YYZ-CAI being 81,000 round trip.

YUL-DEL on the other hand is a bigger p2p market and yes in the current travel bubble context makes sense to operate using a fuel efficient B788. P2P demand in 2019 here was 42,000 pax and this flight will be used to also take pax onwads to YOW, YYC and YEG not only from DEL but also from all across India as pax would be buying a seperate domestic ticket to DEL and then fly AC.

All in all, both these routes in the current operating climate make commercial sense !

Thanks for sharing those O&D numbers. Never thought YUL-DEL would be 40K+, and certainly didn’t think it was larger than CAI.

Then again, the Egyptian Canadian population has shifted from being 75% based in Quebec during the 60s/70s to mostly being in Ontario nowadays. The split is around 60/30 now in favour of the heartland province, the rest being out west. Explaining MS dropping YUL in 2009 and starting YYZ a few years later. Still, the fact AC is going after YUL-CAI demonstrates that demand is still there. The non stop should stimulate the market somewhat as well.

alexdelzotto wrote:

Thenoflyzone wrote:

behramjee wrote:

YUL-CAI is mainly a summer seasonal market and in 2019, the full year p2p demand was 29,000 pax versus YYZ-CAI being 81,000 round trip.

YUL-DEL on the other hand is a bigger p2p market and yes in the current travel bubble context makes sense to operate using a fuel efficient B788. P2P demand in 2019 here was 42,000 pax and this flight will be used to also take pax onwads to YOW, YYC and YEG not only from DEL but also from all across India as pax would be buying a seperate domestic ticket to DEL and then fly AC.

All in all, both these routes in the current operating climate make commercial sense !

Thanks for sharing those O&D numbers. Never thought YUL-DEL would be 40K+, and certainly didn’t think it was larger than CAI.

Then again, the Egyptian Canadian population has shifted from being 75% based in Quebec during the 60s/70s to mostly being in Ontario nowadays. The split is around 60/30 now in favour of the heartland province, the rest being out west. Explaining MS dropping YUL in 2009 and starting YYZ a few years later. Still, the fact AC is going after YUL-CAI demonstrates that demand is still there. The non stop should stimulate the market somewhat as well.

Makes for easy connections with MS onward to BEY.
A few flights a day between CAI and BEY and much better alternative to GVA.
If the flight was to take a delay in YUL, pax don't have to worry about having a schengen.

runway23 wrote:

alexdelzotto wrote:

Thenoflyzone wrote:

Thanks for sharing those O&D numbers. Never thought YUL-DEL would be 40K+, and certainly didn’t think it was larger than CAI.

Then again, the Egyptian Canadian population has shifted from being 75% based in Quebec during the 60s/70s to mostly being in Ontario nowadays. The split is around 60/30 now in favour of the heartland province, the rest being out west. Explaining MS dropping YUL in 2009 and starting YYZ a few years later. Still, the fact AC is going after YUL-CAI demonstrates that demand is still there. The non stop should stimulate the market somewhat as well.

Makes for easy connections with MS onward to BEY.
A few flights a day between CAI and BEY and much better alternative to GVA.
If the flight was to take a delay in YUL, pax don't have to worry about having a schengen.

Right now connections to BEY in CAI are 6+ hours and/or overnight. It’s hardly convenient. Besides in GVA if someone misconnects but doesn’t have a schengen visa they aren’t abandoned in the terminal and there is a procedure that exists. That said, I’d expect most passengers to hold a Canadian passport.

andrew1996 wrote:

I am also surprised they chose the 789 out of YUL for this route instead of the A333. I am not sure what yields would be like on this flight as I can't imagine it being particularly high and probably geared towards VFR.

350Ops wrote:

There is also the opportunity to connect to central Africa via MS for YUL CAI traffic. Francophone African diaspora in Quebec will have more options beyond CDG, LHR, FRA

350Ops wrote:

There is also the opportunity to connect to central Africa via MS for YUL CAI traffic. Francophone African diaspora in Quebec will have more options beyond CDG, LHR, FRA