Tag Archives: YYC

WestJet announces new winter routes to Florida, Mexico and Costa Rica, WestJet Encore to fly to Boston

WestJet (Calgary) has announced it is launching new nonstop service to Florida, Mexico and Costa Rica, as well as adding more than 85 flights across its growing domestic and international network as part of its winter 2015-2016 flight schedule. WestJet’s regional airline, WestJet Encore (Calgary), will also begin service three times a day to Boston, its first U.S. destination.

WestJet will launch new nonstop service between Toronto (Pearson) and West Palm Beach and Toronto (Pearson) and Sarasota/Bradenton, as well as between Toronto (Pearson) and Boston and Halifax and Boston.

The airline will also introduce new service to Mexico between Toronto (Pearson) and Huatulco, Toronto (Pearson) and Merida, and Toronto (Pearson) and Cabo San Lucas, as well as additional service to Costa Rica between Toronto (Pearson) and San Jose (SJO). WestJet already serves Liberia.

Guests flying from the Region of Waterloo International Airport and Charlottetown Airport will see new weekly nonstop flights to Orlando.

Details of WestJet’s new routes from Central and Eastern Canada for the winter of 2015-2016:

WestJet is also increasing service from a number of destinations within Central and Eastern Canada including Toronto (Pearson), Halifax, St. John’s, Deer Lake and Charlottetown, as well as from Toronto (Pearson) to Liberia, Turks and Caicos, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana.

The airline will also add new nonstop flights between Calgary and Florida, Costa Rica and Mexico, and between Vancouver and Orlando.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. WestJet’s Boeing 737-76N C-GWSH (msn 29886) taxies to the gate at the Calgary hub.

WestJet aircraft slide show:

WestJet Encore aircraft slide show:

WestJet Encore to launch new Atlantic services today

WestJet Encore (Calgary) today (July 15) will launch new daily nonstop flights from Halifax Stanfield International Airport to Deer Lake and Gander, Newfoundland, and Sydney, Nova Scotia, on board its fleet of 78-seat Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft. The airline will also inaugurate new daily nonstop service between Moncton, New Brunswick, and Ottawa.

Effective today, WestJet will also increase frequency between Halifax and St. John’s from twice to three times daily, and between Halifax and Ottawa from once to twice daily.

New WestJet routes launched in 2015 include Edmonton-Kamloops, Toronto-Fredericton, Toronto-Gander, Calgary-Terrace, Calgary-Yellowknife, Calgary-Loreto and Halifax-Glasgow. New daily non-stop service between Calgary and Houston begins September 8, 2015, while new twice-weekly service between Abbotsford and Las Vegas launches October 29, 2015.

Top Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier DHC-8-402 (marketed as the Q400) C-FNEN (msn 4453) taxies at Calgary.

WestJet Encore aircraft slide show:

WestJet and WestJet Encore System Route Map (click map for the full view):

Video: Celebrating Bombardier’s 500th Q400 Delivery:

United to add winter seasonal service to St. Lucia from Chicago

United Airlines (Chicago) on December 19 will add weekly Boeing 737-800 jet service from its Chicago (O’Hare) hub to St. Lucia in the Caribbean per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-824 N37277 (msn 31595) with APB Split Scimitar Winglets departs from Calgary.

United Airlines aircraft slide show (current livery):

Cargojet and First Air expand their commercial agreement

Cargojet Inc. (Cargojet Airways) (Hamilton), Canada’s domestic premium overnight air cargo network operator, and First Air (Ottawa), the Airline of the North, announced today that they have expanded their commercial co-operation agreement effective July 1, 2015 and extended their Transportation Agreement to June 30, 2025.

According to both carriers:

This agreement further strengthens the strategic alliance between the two companies, and will allow for seamless air cargo transportation between the 14 major Canadian cities served on Cargojet’s overnight air cargo network as well as the 32 communities served by First Air in Canada’s North.

Above Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Cargojet Airways Boeing 767-35E ER (F) C-GUAJ (msn 26063) departs from Calgary.

Cargojet Airways aircraft slide show:

First Air aircraft slide show:

Below Copyright Photo: Tony Storck/AirlinersGallery.com. First Air Boeing 737-406 C-FFNC (msn 27232) (Native Hunter) taxies at Yellowknife.

WestJet converts five Bombardier Q400 purchase options to firm orders, increases Encore frequencies

WestJet (Calgary) today announced it has signed a firm order for five Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft. A firm order for one Q400 aircraft was also signed in March 2015. These transactions are conversions of options previously booked by WestJet. The five firm orders are for delivery in 2016 and 2017.

The Q400 aircraft will be operated by WestJet Encore (Calgary).

New WestJet Encore routes launched earlier this year include: Edmonton-Kamloops, Toronto-Québec City, Toronto-Fredericton and Halifax-Sydney.

In related news, Westjet announced an increase in frequency on three existing international routes and a move from seasonal to year-round service between Calgary and Yellowknife.

Service between Calgary and Loreto, Mexico increases from weekly to twice-weekly service. Flights between Toronto and Puerto Vallarta increase from weekly to three times weekly and service between Toronto and Puerto Plata doubles from twice-weekly service to four scheduled flights per week.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Bombardier DHC-8-402 (marketed as the Q400) C-FQWE (msn 4473) lands at the Calgary base.

Westjet Encore aircraft slide show:

Air Canada inaugurates new routes to Amsterdam and Mexico City

Air Canada (Montreal) has further expanded its global network with the June 5 arrival of flight AC824 in Amsterdam from Toronto (Pearson) and the departure of AC994 from Montreal (Trudeau) to Mexico City. The launch of these nonstop services marks a further advance of the airline’s international expansion strategy, which has seen its international capacity grow more than 50 percent since 2009.

New routes launched by Air Canada this year, in addition to Toronto-Amsterdam and Montreal-Mexico City, include: Montreal-Venice, Vancouver-Osaka, Vancouver-Comox, Calgary-Halifax, Calgary-Nanaimo, Toronto-Austin, Toronto-Atlantic City and Calgary-Terrace. Announced new routes still to launch include: Toronto-Dubai, Toronto-Delhi and Toronto-Abbotsford.

The Toronto-Amsterdam route will be operated with 211-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft.

The Montreal-Mexico City route will be operated with 120-seat Airbus A319 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-375 ER C-FPCA (msn 24306) rotates on the runway at Calgary International Airport.

Air Canada aircraft slide show:

WestJet today launches two new routes from Calgary

WestJet (Calgary) today (May 3) launched new, nonstop daily service between Calgary and Terrace, British Columbia, and between Calgary and Yellowknife, NT.

Flights between Calgary and Terrace will be operated by WestJet Encore’s fleet of Canadian-made Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft, while flights between Calgary and Yellowknife will be operated by WestJet’s fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737s.

WestJet today also launched new, daily nonstop service between Toronto (Pearson) and Gander, Newfoundland, on board WestJet’s Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft.

WestJet aircraft slide show:

Transat A.T. Inc. (Air Transat) reports a fiscal first quarter adjusted net profit of $32.4 million

Transat A.T. Inc. (the parent of Air Transat) (Montreal) posted revenues of $788.6 million for the quarter ended January 31, 2015, compared with $847.2 million in 2014, a decrease of $58.6 million, or 6.9%. The Corporation recorded an adjusted operating loss1 of $35.8 million, compared with $23.9 million in 2014; and a net loss attributable to shareholders of $64.3 million ($1.66 per share on a diluted basis), compared with $25.6 million ($0.67 per share on a diluted basis) in 2014. Before non-operating items, Transat reported an adjusted net loss3 of $32.4 million in 2015 ($0.84 per share), compared with $23.3 million ($0.60 per share) in 2014.

All amounts are in Canadian dollars.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Notes:

The following are non-IFRS financial measures used by management as indicators to evaluate ongoing and recurring operational performance.

(1)
Adjusted operating income (loss): Operating income (operating loss) before depreciation and amortization expense, restructuring charge and other significant unusual items.
(2)
Adjusted pre-tax income (loss): Income (loss) before income tax expense, change in fair value of derivative financial instruments used for aircraft fuel purchases, gain on disposal of a subsidiary, restructuring charge, impairment of goodwill and other significant unusual items.
(3)
Adjusted net income (loss): Net income (loss) attributable to shareholders change in fair value of derivative financial instruments used for aircraft fuel purchases, gain on disposal of a subsidiary, restructuring charge, impairment of goodwill and other significant unusual items, net of related taxes.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Air Transat’s Airbus A330-243 C-GITS (msn 271) is pictured in action at Calgary International Airport (YYC).

Air Transat aircraft slide show:

Southern Air eliminates all of its long-term debt with a debt-for-equity exchange

Southern Air (2nd) (DHL) (Cincinnati) has issued this statement about its restructuring process:

Southern Air Holdings, Inc. (SAHI) has completed a debt-to-equity exchange that eliminates all of the company’s long-term debt, enabling SAHI to significantly enhance its strategic position and growth plans.

The consensual secured debt-to-preferred equity exchange satisfies approximately $90 million in senior secured term debt by issuing to its former term lenders a new class of preferred stock and warrants. The newly issued preferred stock is non-voting and non-convertible, and provides for an annual stated yield accruing in kind (not in cash), and a liquidation preference over common shares. The exchange transaction was approved by the United States Department of Transportation and by 100% of the participating term loan lenders. In addition to the debt-for-preferred equity exchange, SAHI’s lenders agreed to renew and increase to $20 million a working capital line of credit in favor of various SAHI affiliates.

“The completion of this debt-for-equity exchange sets a new stage for growth in our air cargo platforms,” said SAHI and Worldwide CEO Dan McHugh. “Southern Air now has a clean balance sheet and no long term debt. With positive cash flow, we are poised to grow our existing 777 and 737 programs with global logistics leader DHL Express and other global customers, and in view of the closing of our acquisition of 767 carrier Florida West International Airways (Florida West), Worldwide is strengthening and expanding its highly reliable, cost efficient and customer-oriented ACMI, CMI and other air cargo services.”

Worldwide recently announced its plans to acquire Miami-based Florida West, a U.S. all cargo carrier operating 767 aircraft.

McHugh added, “Our lenders’ willingness to convert all of their term debt to preferred equity demonstrates a firm commitment to SAHI’s management vision, strategic positioning and growth plans, and we greatly appreciate their support in this debt conversion process.”

SAHI was advised in the transaction by the investment banking firm Imperial Capital and the law firm Berger Singerman.

Southern Air currently operates four Boeing 777-200 freighters on an around-the-world basis for the leading global express delivery provider DHL. Southern Air also operates five Boeing 737 aircraft for DHL, flying key routes to support DHL’s North American air networks.

All Boeing 747s have been retired.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Southern Air now operates five Boeing 737-400 freighters in DHL colors including ex-LOT 737-45D N495SA (msn 27157) at Calgary.

DHL-Southern Air aircraft slide show:

Southern Air aircraft slide show:

Cargojet paints its first aircraft for the Purolator contract

Cargojet Airways (Hamilton) has painted the first aircraft for the new Purolator contract.

Cargojet is taking over all Canada Post/Purolator flying after beating out Kelowna Flightcraft for the new contract.

On February 19, 2014 Cargojet announced they have been awarded the Domestic Air Cargo Network Services contract and have signed a Master Services Agreement with the Canada Post Group of Companies (CPGOC) for an initial seven-year (7) term with three (3) thirty-six month (36) renewal options. Projected revenues are estimated to be approximately one billion dollars during the initial seven-year agreement based on projected volumes.

Cargojet will provide comprehensive Canada-wide air cargo services for the Group of Companies, including Purolator’s national air cargo network. Cargojet’s domestic overnight network will be expanded and enhanced significantly to handle the additional volumes and provide a virtual dedicated Air Cargo Network to the Canada Post Group of Companies.

Purolator is Canada’s leading integrated freight and parcel solutions provider.

Copyright Photo: Chris Sands/AirlinersGallery.com. Former Star Air Boeing 767-39H ER C-FGSJ (msn 26256, ex OY-SRS) departs majestically from Calgary International Airport.

Cargojet aircraft slide show: