Tag Archives: Vancouver

Air Canada rouge to introduce Vancouver-Palm Springs seasonal flights on December 18

Air Canada (Montreal) announced today that it will introduce a new seasonal nonstop service operated by Air Canada rouge (Toronto-Pearson) between Vancouver and Palm Springs, California this winter. Flights to the ‘Golf Capital of the World’ will be operated with Air Canada rouge Airbus A319 aircraft featuring three customer comfort options: rouge, rouge Plus with preferred seating offering additional legroom, and Premium rouge with additional personal space and enhanced service.

Air Canada rouge flights between Vancouver and Palm Springs, CA will begin on December 18, 2014 and will operate three times weekly until April 12, 2015.

Air Canada will continue to evaluate future market opportunities as new aircraft are introduced into its mainline fleet and existing aircraft are released for operation by Air Canada rouge as market demand warrants. Since the launch in July 2013 of Air Canada rouge, Air Canada has deployed its leisure carrier to a growing number of Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and select sun destinations in the United States.

Air Canada rouge operates a fleet consisting of Boeing 767-300ER and Airbus A319 aircraft transferred from Air Canada.

Air Canada’s mainline fleet renewal is ongoing with the introduction of new aircraft. In May, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner and is scheduled to receive a total of six 787 aircraft in 2014 with the remaining 31 scheduled between 2015 and 2019. In February 2014, Air Canada took delivery of the last of five new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft to enter its mainline fleet.

Copyright Photo: TMK Photography/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-114 C-GBHR (msn 785) taxies at the Toronto (Pearson) hub.

Air Canada:

Air Canada rouge:

Air Canada to deploy the Boeing 787 on the Vancouver-Tokyo Narita route

Air Canada (Montreal) will start a second Boeing 787 daily route from Vancouver to Tokyo (Narita) on December 15 per Airline Route. The 787 will replace a 767 on the route.

Air Canada:

American to open four new routes from Los Angeles

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) will continue expanding its domestic and international service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), further strengthening one of its key hubs and providing more access for customers across its growing global network. New service between Los Angeles and the following markets will be available for booking beginning this Saturday, June 21.

Edmonton, Alberta operated daily, beginning October 2
San Antonio operated twice daily, beginning October 2
Tampa, Florida operated daily, beginning November 6
Vancouver, British Columbia operated twice daily, beginning October 2

Service between LAX and Edmonton, San Antonio and Vancouver will be operated as US Airways Express with a two-class Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. The new route between LAX and Tampa will be operated by American Airlines with a two-class Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

With these new markets, American will serve 53 domestic and international destinations from its LAX hub. Customers have access to even more global destinations through partners British Airways, Iberia, Qantas, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific and LAN, all of which offer convenient connections from Los Angeles.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-823 N980AN (msn 33203) departs the runway at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

American Airlines (current):

QANTAS Airways celebrates 60 years of flying to the United States

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its first trans-Pacific services to the USA.

On May 15, 1954, a 60-passenger QANTAS Airways Lockheed 1049C Super Constellation aircraft departed Sydney for San Francisco and Vancouver. The journey to San Francisco took around 30 flying hours and involved fuel stops at Fiji, Canton Island and Hawaii.

QANTAS named this the Southern Cross Route in honor of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his crew who made the first flight in 1928.

QANTAS International CEO Simon Hickey said the sixty year milestone highlighted Qantas’ ongoing commitment to the USA.

“QANTAS is proud of its flying history to the US. Some of our most historic moments have been on the trans-Pacific route including the start of the jet age in 1959 with our first Boeing 707 services and introducing the largest commercial passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, on the route in 2008,” said Mr Hickey.

“The milestone comes in a year where QANTAS is investing significantly in the customer experience to the US, including the opening of our new First and Business Lounges in Los Angeles and the introduction of A380 services between Sydney and Dallas/Ft. Worth from September.

The airline first established itself in North America in San Francisco in 1954, when it took over the operations of British Commonwealth Pacific Airline in September 1947.

This year also marks thirty years since QANTAS Airways began nonstop flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles beginning in April 1984. These services were operated by the long-range Boeing 747SP (above) with a flying time of around 16 hours. Today, the flying time is around 13 hours.

QANTAS is the only carrier to operate A380 services between the US and Australia.

QANTAS flights to the USA include:

Direct daily Airbus A380 services from Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles

A daily Boeing 747-400 service from Sydney to New York via Los Angeles

A direct daily Boeing 747-400 service from Brisbane to Los Angeles

Three Boeing 767-300 services per week between Sydney and Honolulu and;

A daily Boeing 747-400 from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth, which will move to a six per week Airbus A380 service from September 29.

Copyright Photo: QANTAS Airways. The pictured Boeing 747SP-38 (Special Performance) VH-EAA (msn 22495) was handed over to QANTAS on January 19, 1981. VH-EAA is pictured over the Cascade Mountains in Washington State in the original 1970 color scheme.

QANTAS Airways:

Icelandair arrives in Vancouver, British Columbia to a “Viking welcome”

Icelandair (Keflavik) yesterday (May 14) opened a new route to Vancouver, British Columbia (YVR). The airport issued this statement on its special “Viking” arrival ceremony:

The skies opened on May 14 between Vancouver, Reykjavik and more than 20 European destinations as Icelandair inaugurated its new twice-weekly, seasonal service from Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

Vancouver Airport Authority, in partnership with ground-handler Swissport International Ltd., staged a unique welcome for its newest airline partner with a group of YVR ambassadors-turned-Vikings who pulled Icelandair’s Boeing 757 aircraft to its inaugural gate.

“We’ve been working for years to bring Icelandair to YVR and provide passengers with new connectivity between YVR and Reykjavik, and on to popular Scandinavian destinations like Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm,” said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. “This service is a great example of how liberalized air-service agreements enhance travel opportunities and create jobs at YVR and in British Columbia.”

Icelandair’s new service will generate approximately $2 million in wages, $1.1 million in taxes and $3.1 million in GDP through employment at YVR and in B.C.’s hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. Its flights – which arrive in Vancouver at 5:50 pm on Sundays and Tuesdays and depart at 3:55 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays – will also give businesses more options to reach customers, suppliers and investors in Europe.

“We call 2014 the year of Canada for Icelandair. As we celebrate our inaugural flight from Vancouver, Icelandair now serves four Canadian gateways with service to more than 20 destinations in Europe. Our goal is to continue to grow and develop our network with added frequency and easier connections for all of Canada,” said Birkir Holm Gudnason, CEO for Icelandair. “Icelandair offers our passengers a refreshing alternative when travelling to Europe with three cabins of service, leather seats, in-flight entertainment systems and, by the end of this year, Wi-Fi is scheduled to be available fleet-wide. We see a bright future for British Columbia and look forward to welcoming Vancouver onboard.”

The Icelandair schedule for 2014 is the largest in the company‘s history and will increase by 18 per cent from 2013 with new gateways, new destinations and added frequency from several cities in North America and Europe. Additionally, three Boeing 757 aircraft will be added, enlarging the fleet from 18 to 21 aircraft.

Icelandair offers service to Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport from Boston, New York-JFK, Seattle, Denver and Toronto with seasonal service from Washington, D.C., Minneapolis-St. Paul, Orlando Sanford, Halifax, Anchorage, Newark, Vancouver and Edmonton. Connections through Icelandair’s hub at Keflavik International Airport are available to more than 20 destinations in Europe. Only Icelandair allows passengers to stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare.

Copyright Photos: Vancouver International Airport. A tug decorated like a Viking ship tows an Icelandair Boeing 757-256 (TF-LLX, msn 29311) aircraft to th gate at Vancouver International Airport, during a photo opportunity to mark the airline’s inaugural service between Vancouver and Keflavik (near Reykjavik), Iceland on May 14, 2014.

Icelandair:

Delta to operate seasonal New York JFK-Vancouver flights starting on May 22

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will begin seasonal daily nonstop flights from New York (JFK) to Vancouver on May 22. The route will operate with Boeing 737-800s until September 1 according to Airline Route. This route was also operated last summer.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-832 N375DA (msn 29623) completes its final approach into Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS).

Delta Air Lines (current):

Jazz Aviation DHC-8-300 lands safely after an engine fire

Jazz Aviation (Air Canada Express) (formerly Air Canada Jazz) (Halifax) Bombardier DHC-8-300 operating a passenger flight from Nanaimo on Vancouver Island to Vancouver experienced an engine fire yesterday (December 12). According to Reuters, “Shortly after the Jazz DHC 8-300 aircraft took off from Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, the crew was notified of an engine oil issue and flames were seen near one of the engines, Air Canada Jazz said in an emailed statement.

The crew released fire retardant into the engine housing and were able to extinguish the flames. The aircraft, which had 35 passengers and three crew members on board, then returned to Nanaimo, where it was met by emergency vehicles.”

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Jazz Aviation’s Bombardier DHC-8-301 (Q300) C-GKTA (msn 124) is seen at the Vancouver hub.

Air Canada Express-Jazz Aviation:

ANA to fly to Vancouver from Haneda Airport starting on March 30

ANA (All Nippon Airways) (Tokyo) has announced its schedule plans for the summer season of 2014. The airline will add new service to Vancouver and Hanoi starting on March 30, 2014. Here are the full details:

ANA is announcing a new international flight schedule for summer 2014, introducing services to Vancouver (Canada) and Hanoi (Vietnam) for the first time. Additional services will be introduced at that time, with further route and schedule details to be announced.This expansion, effective from March 30, 2014, will make ANA the biggest airline carrier at Haneda, offering the most international flights to and from this airport. Haneda Airport is easily accessible from Tokyo and the new flight schedule, combined with ANA’s existing domestic network, will make it easier and more convenient for passengers to connect within Japan and to travel to overseas destinations. While new destinations such as Vancouver and Hanoi will be serviced from Haneda airport, flights toLondon, Paris, Jakarta and Manila will also start flying from Haneda airport in addition to existing services from Narita airport.ANA is also increasing the number of North American destinations it services from Asian cities via Narita, to improve convenience for transit passengers.

ANA operates a dual-airport strategy in the Tokyo area, capitalizing on the respective strengths of Haneda and Narita Airport. Routes and schedules for destinations served from both airports are carefully planned to complement one another, offering passengers the greatest choice and convenience, and to meet the growing demand for international travel.

Full details of the new flights, routes and aircraft are as shown below: *1

*1 Flight schedules are dependent on approval by the relevant authorities. Please be reminded that these are only scheduled plans and are subject to change.

*2 Some flight numbers are subject to change due to the reorganization of international services. Please check ANA SKY WEB for more details.

(1)New Services

*1 Schedule for NH857 is 10 minutes earlier than shown during March 30-Apr 30. Boeing 787-8 will be introduced from June.
*2 Boeing 787-8 will be introduced from May.(2)Added flights

*1 Boeing 787-8 will be introduced from July.(3)Changes in flight schedules

*1 Due to changes in operating schedules, flights originating in Jakarta will be suspended on March 30.
*2 Flight schedule for NH1163 and NH1164 will be changed and operated as NH1167 and NH1160. Due to changes in schedules, NH1160 on March 30 will be suspended.

(4)Suspended and reduced flights

ANA will offer alternative flights to passengers who have made reservations on flights that will be suspended after March 30.

*1 ANA will suspend flights between Narita and London but code-sharing flights with Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd will remain.
*2 Flights NH111 and NH902 will be suspended.
*3 Flights NH953 and NH916 will be suspended.

(5)Service resumed

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. The new Vancouver route from Tokyo (Haneda) will be operated with Boeing 767-300 ERs. Boeing 767-381 ER JA611A (msn 32980) with “Forward together as one Japan” special markings arrives at Tokyo (Narita).

ANA:

Air Canada and Cargojet sign a LOI to explore strategic opportunities

Air Canada (Montreal) and Cargojet Airways (Hamilton) today announced they have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to explore strategic opportunities in both cargo and airline operations within Canada and in international markets.

The carriers intend to pursue strategic opportunities and increase cooperation in various areas such as global sales and marketing, expanded interline opportunities and enhanced connectivity that would increase revenues and reduce operating costs. Both airlines would work towards providing optimized services to the shipping community on their respective networks.

“We are looking forward to working with Air Canada towards improving the depth and reach of both companies’ air cargo services, both domestically and internationally, among other strategic opportunities,” said Ajay K. Virmani, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cargojet.

“We are very pleased to be in discussions with Cargojet to explore opportunities for revenue growth and synergies that will be mutually beneficial for both our companies and customers,” said Lise-Marie Turpin, Air Canada Cargo Vice President. “Developing further our relationship with Cargojet is an exciting opportunity.”

The implementation of new strategic initiatives would be subject to Air Canada and Cargojet making any necessary filings, obtaining regulatory approvals and finalizing documentation.

Air Canada Cargo provides direct cargo service world wide offering the shipping community business solutions that meet their needs efficiently and cost effectively. Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline serving more than 175 destinations on five continents. Canada’s flag carrier is among the world’s 10 largest commercial airlines and in 2012 served close to 35 million passengers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities, 49 destinations in the United States and 67 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America.

Cargojet is Canada’s leading provider of time sensitive overnight air cargo services that constitutes over 50 per cent of domestic overnight air cargo capacity. Cargojet operates its network across North America each business night, utilizing a fleet of thirteen all-cargo aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Cargojet is still an operator of the Boeing 727 but it has also added a Boeing 757-200 and two 767-200 freighters for its longer-range cargo routes. Former Eastern Airlines Boeing 727-225 C-GCJB (msn 21855) waits at Vancouver for the next assignment.

Air Canada:

Cargojet Airways:

Air North to expand eastward to Yellowknife and Ottawa

Air North (Whitehorse) today announced the addition of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and Ottawa, Ontario.

The Yukon and NWT capitals haven’t been connected in over three years, and never before by scheduled Boeing 737 jet service.

The expansion adds Ottawa and Yellowknife to the list of Air North’s gateway cities to the Yukon, which also includes Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, and Edmonton (see map below).

Air North’s growth is particularly pleasing to the Vuntut Gwitchin Limited Partnership, which invested in the airline more than 12 years ago. “Our original investment has grown in strength and reach, along with our people,” said Pauline Frost, President of the Vuntut Gwitchin Limited Partnership. “We are all very pleased that Yukon’s airline has grown from a small local carrier to one that serves our nation’s capital, providing northerners with an important connection to Yellowknife and Ottawa.”

Service to both cities will begin during the first quarter of 2014, with the schedule and introductory fares to be announced once a number of regulatory and logistical hurdles have been overcome.

Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. Air North’s Boeing 737-48E C-FANB (msn 25764) arrives at the traditional southern terminus of Vancouver.

Air North: