Tag Archives: Swoop

Swoop’s inaugural flight departs Hamilton, Ontario

Swoop has named their first aircraft #Hamilton as a nod to their first airport base at John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario. (CNW Group/Swoop)

Swoop on June 20, 2018 celebrated the debut of its ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) services in Canada with its inaugural flight between John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) and Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), and precedes Swoop’s second inaugural flight pairing of the day, from Hamilton to Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Atlantic Canada’s gateway.

Photos: Hamilton Airport.

“Our dedicated team of Swoopsters have worked tremendously hard to deliver exactly what we set out to. Today marks an important milestone for Swoop, and is equally as meaningful for Canadian travellers,” said Steven Greenway, President and Chief Executive Officer of Swoop. “Our inaugural journey on #Abbotsford is just beginning. We’ll be progressively rolling out new routes and destinations in the coming months and years to come.”

Steven will join media and travellers on the inaugural flight from Hamilton to Abbotsford, attending celebratory events in both cities.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the official launch of Swoop as its very first flight departs from Hamilton International,” said Cathie Puckering, President & CEO, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. “By providing economical and efficient services at Hamilton International, we are a low-cost gateway and a perfect fit for Swoop as their base in Eastern Canada. We are very proud to have one of the first aircraft named #Hamilton and to inaugurate Swoop’s first flight today. We look forward to a strong partnership celebrating many more milestones together.”

Photo: Hamilton International Airport.

“I’m very pleased about the partnership between YXX and Swoop as it will support a vibrant economy for our region, while offering regular service to many destinations within Canada and, hopefully in the near future, international flights from YXX,” said Mayor Henry Braun. “As one of the only ultra-low-cost airports in North Americawhere the airport business model aligns with ultra-low-cost carriers, YXX is a perfect fit for Swoop, positioning Abbotsford to continue to grow as the Hub of the Fraser Valley.”

“Halifax Stanfield is delighted to be a part of Swoop’s initial route network,” says Joyce Carter, President & CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority. “Experience shows that low-fares stimulate demand and we welcome opportunities that provide travellers with more options, while fostering visitation to our beautiful region.”

The excitement continues on June 25 when Swoop activates service in Edmonton, AB and Winnipeg, MB. Over the course of the summer, Steven will visit each of the inaugural cities, to share Swoop’s appreciation for the meaningful teamwork and effort it has taken to get off the ground. Swoop’s initial schedule offers service from Abbotsford, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Halifax as follows:

Departing	Arriving	Frequency
Hamilton	Edmonton	7 X Weekly
	Abbotsford	6 X Weekly
	Winnipeg	5 X Weekly
	Halifax	6 X Weekly

Edmonton	Hamilton	6 X Weekly
Edmonton	Abbotsford	21 X Weekly^†

Abbotsford	Hamilton	6 X Weekly
Abbotsford	Edmonton	21 X Weekly^†

Halifax	Hamilton	6 X Weekly

Winnipeg	Hamilton	6 X Weekly

^†Service begins July 25, 2018.

Service between Winnipeg and Abbotsford begins August 16, 2018.

Photo: Swoop.

Swoop unveils new uniforms

Swoop today unveiled their official crew uniforms. With only one week to go until Swoop’s June 20, 2018 inaugural flight from Hamilton, ON to Abbotsford, BC, the unveiling of the Swoop uniforms has been much anticipated.

“We set out to create a uniform that was comfortable, versatile and stylish, while keeping costs low,” shared Swoop’s Kellie Farrer, Sr. Leader, Inflight. “I’d describe the uniform as a modern take on classic styles. The staple uniform pieces have a monochrome palette that is accented with the signature Swoop magenta so you get a little bit of fashion and a lot of function.”

Who, what, wear?

Pilot Uniforms

Pilots will sport their choice of short or long sleeved collared grey shirts paired with charcoal pants and an optional black zip-up cardigan with button tabs for their epaulettes and stitched pin-holes for their pilot wings.

In the spirit of keeping it casual, the pilot uniforms will not include a hat or tie.

Cabin Crew Uniforms

Cabin Crew members have several uniform options including a comfortable charcoal grey dress, or pants that can be paired with a short or long sleeved white collared shirt. These options can be accessorized with a black or magenta belt, custom Swoop neck scarf, cut-away cardigan or zippered cardigan. A custom dress with a mandarin collar is currently in production and will be added and unveiled in the fall.

Customer Service Agent Uniforms

Customer service agents will wear their own black or charcoal pants with the same white collared shirts that cabin crew members wear. The white button-down collared shirts include details like a Swoop rondelle logo embroidered on the sleeve and grosgrain piping on the collar.

Swoop’s official uniform collection also includes:

Swoop branded Crew luggage and insulated lunch kit
A form fitted black jacket with embossed Swoop rondelle logo on the left chest, thumb hole sleeves, and small magenta accents including a logo zipper pull and neck tab.
A black down jacket for cold Canadian winters
A grey and magenta Swoop lanyard
Bronze pilots wings
Silver brevet-style name badges for cabin crew and customer service agents

Now that the Swoop livery and uniforms have been officially unveiled, Canada’s first true ultra-low-cost carrier is truly ready for the runway.

Videos:

Swoop is granted its AOC, will start on June 20

Swoop on June 12, 2018 was officially granted its air operating certificate (AOC) approval by Transportation Canada. With just over a week to go until Swoop’s inaugural flight from Hamilton, ON to Abbotsford, BC, the coming days are set to be filled with milestone moments for Canada’s first true ultra-low cost airline.

An AOC affirms that a commercial air service complies with detailed and complex aviation regulations, related to:

Aircraft airworthiness;
Personnel training and licensing;
Flight and crew manuals;
Base of operations and scheduled points of service.

“Receiving our air operators certificate ticks the last check-box,” said Steven Greenway, President and Chief Executive Officer of Swoop. “We’re immensely proud of the Swoop inflight, maintenance and operations teams for getting us here. And we’re ready for takeoff on June 20.”

Photo: Swoop.

Route Map:

Arbitrator: WestJet pilots can now fly Swoop aircraft at Swoop terms and conditions

WestJet issued this statement:

On June 7, 2018, the arbitrator presiding over the arbitration between WestJet, an Alberta Partnership and Swoop Inc. and the Air Line Pilot Association, International (ALPA) issued a binding interim order regarding Swoop.

The binding interim order, issued June 7, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. directs, among other things, that existing Swoop pilots will remain in their current positions until directed otherwise by the arbitrator, and that WestJet pilots can now fly Swoop aircraft at Swoop terms and conditions. The interim order further directs that ALPA, WestJet and Swoop will make a joint application to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) requesting the Board to amend ALPA’s bargaining certificate to recognize ALPA as the bargaining agent for pilots of Swoop in addition to the pilots of WestJet by September 1, 2018. The arbitrator has further directed that additional hearing dates are required through the summer and into September to properly address all outstanding issues.

“We recognize and respect the interim order which is in line with the WestJet Group’s original direction that WestJet pilots should have the ability to operate Swoop aircraft,” said Ed Sims, President and CEO of the WestJet Group of Companies.

Steven Greenway, Swoop President commented, “The order allows us to redouble our efforts and focus our attention on the rapidly approaching launch of Swoop on June 20, 2018 from Hamilton.”

Photos: Swoop.

Video:

The first Swoop Boeing 737-800 is unveiled

Swoop is ready for takeoff with the first Swoop flight heading from YHM to YXX on June 20, 2018. (CNW Group/Swoop)

On May 22, 2018, the first Boeing 737-800 aircraft (C-GDMP) was delivered to Swoop, marking one of many exciting milestones as the airline prepares for the launch of operations on June 20, 2018. In the coming weeks and months, Canadians can look forward to many exciting milestone announcements, from Swoop’s official uniform unveiling to the launch of a range of international destinations.

The unveiling of Swoop’s livery has been much anticipated, prompting Swoop to share a first look teaser image on social media last week. Emblazoned with the eye-catching magenta Swoop logo, and magenta accented tailfin and winglets, this is the first of six Boeing 737-800 aircraft to be delivered this year.

Swoop has named their first aircraft #Hamilton as a nod to their first airport base at John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario. (CNW Group/Swoop)

About the Fleet
Swoop will operate a modern fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft which offer superior reliability and fuel efficiency and are equipped with blended winglet technology to improve aerodynamic performance and reduce fuel burn by up to four per cent. Optimizing efficiencies while minimizing maintenance and operating costs is an important cornerstone of Swoop’s ultra-low-cost business model.

With 189 seats – including 39 extra legroom seats offering an additional 4-6 inches of space – the aircraft interior features -pop of colour- accents like embossed leather headrest covers, and bullnose strips. (CNW Group/Swoop)

With 189 seats – including 39 extra legroom seats offering an additional 4-6 inches of space – the aircraft interior features ‘pop of colour’ accents like embossed leather headrest covers, and bullnose strips. The aircraft interior is also outfitted with amenities including in-seat power, fully adjustable headrests, WiFi connectivity and in-flight entertainmentⁱ.

(CNW Group/Swoop)

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft has three onboard lavatories: a single lavatory in the front and two in the back. And no, travellers will not be charged to use the bathrooms on board. Swoop’s Duty Not Free initiative was nothing more than a widely-shared April Fool’s Day prank, with most travellers catching on to the ruse quite quickly.

Swoop has named their first aircraft #Hamilton as a nod to their first airport base at John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario. Swoop plans to name the first four aircraft after people and places that have been integral in the journey to launch. With two more aircraft delivered in 2018, Swoop partners and travellers can expect an aircraft naming contest later this year.

About Swoop

Swoop has flown into the Canadian travel market to provide the country with a no-frills, lower-fare air travel option that will get more Canadians travelling. Swoop has the unique position of being the only ultra-low-cost carrier in Canada with a strong balance sheet, a modern fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft and a management team with deep knowledge of the aviation market.

All photo by Swoop.

Video:

WestJet lays out its plans for Swoop

WestJet management commented on its plans for Swoop during its first quarter earnings call:

WestJet has fully crewed the launch aircraft.
Swoop will start operations on June 20, 2018
The first aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, is being painted and will have 189 seats.
Swoop will take delivery of two aircraft in June, a third in July. The fleet will grow to six aircraft by the fourth quarter 2018 and the full fleet of 10 aircraft by the the third quarter of 2019.
Swoop aircraft are being transferred from WestJet as “excess capacity” that would otherwise be returned to their respective lessors.

Information via Seeking Alpha.

Swoop announces a new Winnipeg – Abbotsford route

Swoop announced a new domestic regional route, providing daily, direct service between Winnipeg and Abbotsford beginning August 16, 2018.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of Swoop’s recent announcement of a fourth aircraft being added for the peak summer travel season. This new route will double the weekly frequency schedule in Winnipeg, and add 7 flights to the Abbotsford weekly frequency schedule.

Swoop service officially begins on June 20, 2018, with an initial network that includes Abbotsford, Hamilton, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Halifax.

With the addition of the new Winnipeg–Abbotsford route, Swoop will be operating 66 weekly flights as of August 16, 2018.

Starting today, Swoop is celebrating the latest route announcement and increased weekly frequency schedule with a system-wide seat sale detailed in the table below†:

Departing	Arriving	Air transportation charges Base fare from	Taxes, fees and charges	Total one-way price from
Abbotsford	Winnipeg	$87.17	$11.83	*$99.00CAD**
Winnipeg	Abbotsford	$62.17	$36.83	*$99.00CAD**
Abbotsford	Edmonton	$29.07	$8.93	*$38.00CAD**
Edmonton	Abbotsford	$9.55	$39.45	*$49.00CAD**
Hamilton	Winnipeg	$28.94	$40.06	*$69.00CAD**
Winnipeg	Hamilton	$33.59	$35.41	*$69.00CAD**
Hamilton	Halifax	$55.49	$43.51	*$99.00CAD**
Halifax	Hamilton	$50.97	$48.03	*$99.00CAD**
Hamilton	Abbotsford	$55.49	$43.51	*$99.00CAD**
Abbotsford	Hamilton	$87.17	$11.83	*$99.00CAD**
Edmonton	Hamilton	$57.17	$41.83	*$99.00CAD**
Hamilton	Edmonton	$55.49	$43.51	*$99.00CAD**

†Book by April 24, 2018 (11:59 p.m. MT) for travel between June 20-June 27 and/or August 16-December 13, 2018. 4800 seats available. Some blackout dates and restrictions apply.

Image: Swoop.

Route Map:

Swoop announces increased frequency with addition of fourth aircraft, will start on August 16

Swoop has announced the addition of a fourth Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and an increased weekly frequency schedule out of John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport beginning August 16, 2018.

The announcement comes less than two months after Swoop announced its initial schedule release on February 1, with service starting from Abbotsford, Hamilton, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Halifax, beginning June 20, 2018.

The addition of a fourth aircraft will increase weekly frequency almost two-fold for Hamilton-Edmonton and Hamilton-Abbotsford, while service from Hamilton to Halifax and Winnipeg will now be offered daily.

Overall, the increase will see Swoop operating 59 weekly flights as of August 16, 2018.

Details of Swoop’s increased service:

An increase of 13 weekly flights will almost double the daily frequency between Hamilton-Edmonton and Hamilton-Abbotsford as well add 1 weekly flight to the schedule for Hamilton-Halifax and Hamilton-Winnipeg.

Hamilton-Edmonton increases from 7 to 13 times weekly
Hamilton-Abbotsford increases from 6 to 11 times weekly^†
Hamilton-Halifax increases from 6 to 7 times weekly
Hamilton-Winnipeg increases from 6 to 7 times weekly

^†The Hamilton-Abbotsford frequency schedule will increase from August 16-September 5 only, reverting to 6 weekly flights from September 6 – December 13, 2018.

Swoop is celebrating – or salebrating – with some special fares:

Swoop is celebrating the addition of the fourth aircraft and increased weekly frequency schedule with the release of 3500 seats at the special fares† detailed in the table below:

Departing	Arriving	Air transportation charges (ATC) Base fare from	Taxes, fees and charges	Total one-way price from
Abbotsford	Edmonton	$39.55	$9.45	$49.00^† CAD
Edmonton	Abbotsford	$9.55	$39.45	$49.00^† CAD
Hamilton	Winnipeg	$28.94	$40.06	$69.00^†CAD
Winnipeg	Hamilton	$33.59	$35.41	$69.00^†CAD
Hamilton	Halifax	$55.49	$43.51	$99.00^† CAD
Halifax	Hamilton	$50.97	$48.03	$99.00^†CAD
Hamilton	Abbotsford	$55.49	$43.51	$99.00^†CAD
Abbotsford	Hamilton	$87.17	$11.83	$99.00^†CAD
Edmonton	Hamilton	$76.21	$42.79	$119.00^† CAD
Hamilton	Edmonton	$73.19	$45.81	$119.00^† CAD

^†Book by March 27, 2018 (11:59 p.m. MT) for travel between June 20-June 30 and/or August 16-December 13, 2018. Some blackout dates and restrictions apply.

All images by Swoop.

Route Map:

WestJet announces the President of Swoop

Steven Greenway has been announced as President of Canada-‘s first ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), Swoop. (CNW Group/WESTJET, an Alberta Partnership)

Swoop has announced Steven Greenway as President of Canada’s first ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), Swoop. Steven will join Swoop on March 5, 2018.

Reporting to Gregg Saretsky, WestJet Group President and CEO, Steven will have end-to-end accountability for all strategic aspects of Swoop, including short and long-term planning, branding, pricing, product development, and operationalization of the ULCC in 2018 and beyond. Bob Cummings, the WestJet executive in charge of Swoop launch, will move into the role of WestJet Executive Vice-President, Strategy and Guest Services.

“Steven brings extensive expertise in ULCC operations including sales, distribution, planning, revenue management, as well as loyalty and commercial strategy; all expertise that we welcome to the table,” said Gregg Saretsky. “Swoop’s brand and booking launch, successfully led by Bob Cummings, has provided an excellent foundation and we look forward to having Steven’s vast experience and drive to take Swoop from here.

“I’m incredibly humbled to be joining the Swoop team,” said Steven Greenway. “It’s thrilling to be part of the Swoop story and to have the chance to drive Swoop to change the Canadian travel market in the same way that WestJet did two decades ago. Being part of an airline start-up is a magical experience as our team looks to make their mark on an airline that will last well into the future of Canadian aviation.”

Steven joins Swoop with more than 20 years of airline, loyalty and advisory experience with an emphasis on low-cost carriers (LCC). Steven’s most recent roles were as CEO of reward-U, the pioneering LCC loyalty program of HK Express and as the Board Director of Zuji, one of Asia’s leading online travel agencies where he was responsible for helping drive operational excellence, strategic planning and accelerating revenue growth for both organizations. Steven has also worked in a variety of executive and leadership roles at airlines including Japanese LCC Peach Aviation, Virgin Blue, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas. More recently Steven was a founding member and Chief Commercial Officer for Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ successful mid-to-long-haul LCC. Steven has a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Political Science.

All images by WestJet.

Swoop announces its first routes and start dates

Swoop, the ultra low-fare subsidiary of WestJet, has announced its initial schedule release with service starting from Abbotsford, Hamilton, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Halifax.

“Swoop is travel without the flair,” said Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Strategy and the executive member responsible for the launch of Swoop. “Buy the seat and customize the features you want. Why would you jet with anyone else? Canadians can book with us knowing that we have modern aircraft, strong financial backing and an experienced team that will get you there and back. All at fares that won’t break the bank!

Starting June 20, 2018, the airline will launch six weekly flights between Abbotsford and Hamilton and six weekly flights between Hamilton and Halifax. On June 25, 2018, Swoop will start six weekly flights between Hamilton and Edmonton and between Hamilton and Winnipeg.

Swoop’s service between Abbotsford and Edmonton will start July 25, 2018 and will operate three-times daily. Overall, the airline will have 45 weekly flights: 24 weekly flights from Hamilton and 27 from Abbotsford.

Routes will operate on Swoop’s fleet of modern Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 seats. Swoop is travel without the flair – the customer is in control of what they pay, purchasing only the seat and adding the features they want without having to pay for those they don’t. Features for purchase include a bag, movies and Wi-Fi, more legroom or less, and buy-on-board snacks and beverages. Bringing a small personal item on board is free.

Details of Swoop’s new non-stop service:

Route	Frequency	Effective
Hamilton – Abbotsford	Once daily except Tuesday	June 20, 2018
Abbotsford – Hamilton	Once daily except Tuesday	June 20, 2018
Hamilton – Halifax	Once daily except Tuesday	June 20, 2018
Halifax – Hamilton	Once daily except Tuesday	June 20, 2018
Hamilton – Edmonton	Once daily except Wednesday	June 25, 2018
Edmonton – Hamilton	Once daily except Wednesday	June 25, 2018
Hamilton – Winnipeg	Once daily except Wednesday	June 25, 2018
Winnipeg – Hamilton	Once daily except Wednesday	June 25, 2018
Abbotsford – Edmonton	Three daily	July 25, 201
Edmonton – Abbotsford	Three daily	July 25, 2018

After our promotional “first seat is on us” fares are sold out, introductory one-way fares are available starting from:

Departing	Arriving	Air transportation charges (ATC) Base fare from	Taxes, fees and charges	Total one-way price from
Abbotsford	Edmonton	$30.02	$8.98	$39.00^†CAD
Edmonton	Abbotsford	$28.59	$40.41	$69.00^†CAD
Edmonton	Hamilton	$57.17	$41.83	$99.00^†CAD
Hamilton	Edmonton	$55.49	$43.51	$99.00^†CAD
Hamilton	Halifax	$55.49	$43.51	$99.00^†CAD
Halifax	Hamilton	$50.97	$48.03	$99.00^†CAD
Hamilton	Winnipeg	$28.94	$40.06	$69.00^†CAD
Winnipeg	Hamilton	$33.59	$35.41	$69.00^†CAD
Hamilton	Abbotsford	$55.49	$43.51	$99.00^†CAD
Abbotsford	Hamilton	$87.17	$11.83	$99.00^†CAD

^†Book by February 3, 2018 (11:59 p.m. MT). Some restrictions apply. For more details, please visit FlySwoop.com, and spend the savings on yourself!

Swoop has flown in to the Canadian travel market to provide the country with a no-frills, lower-fare air travel option that will get more Canadians travelling. Swoop has the unique position of being the only ultra-low-cost carrier in Canada with a strong balance sheet, a modern fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft and a management team with deep knowledge of the aviation market.

Images: Swoop.