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Category: PAL Airlines

  • Air Canada Intends to Extend and Expand Commercial Agreement with PAL Airlines

    The proposed agreement will support flying in Québec and New Brunswick from Montréal

    MONTRÉAL, Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Air Canada and PAL Airlines announced today their intent to expand the commercial agreement under which PAL operates regional flights for Air Canada Express, helping protect and grow service in Eastern Canada. The existing agreement is to be extended by an additional four years to 2032, and the number of PAL Airlines aircraft covered by the agreement is expected to grow by five, to eleven.

    “Air Canada is committed to regional connectivity. Our proposed agreement with PAL Airlines will enable us to protect existing services from Montréal to destinations in Québec and New Brunswick and support the overall growth of our regional network. Since PAL Airlines began operating for Air Canada Express in 2023, it has proven to be a strong partner, offering our customers in eastern Canada reliability, excellent customer service and a greater choice of flying options,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, and President of Cargo at Air Canada.

    “PAL Airlines is proud to work on expanding our agreement with Air Canada, growing our considerable presence in Eastern and Atlantic Canada by delivering flexible solutions that support regional connectivity for the Air Canada network,” said Calvin Ash, President of PAL Airlines. “This proposed extended arrangement with Air Canada reflects their confidence in our operation, supports the continued growth of our airline, and will solidify our presence in the regions which have supported our development.”

    Air Canada and PAL Airlines have signed a letter of intent, which remains subject to final negotiations, to expand the existing arrangement between PAL and Air Canada and extend it until 2032. It would increase the agreement’s covered fleet by five additional Dash 8-400 aircraft to be operated on behalf of Air Canada on regional routes in Eastern Canada and Quebec.

    About Air Canada

    Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is Canada’s premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada’s climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

    About PAL Airlines

    A proud member of the Exchange Income Corporation family of airlines, PAL Airlines is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and serves an extensive network of scheduled and charter destinations across Eastern Canada and Quebec. PAL Airlines has over 40 years experience in the aviation industry with a reputation built on safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service.

    For more information, please visit: www.palairlines.ca

  • PAL Airlines Pilots Serve Notice to Bargain to Management

    14 July 2025

    ST. JOHN’S, Nfld.—Today, the PAL Airlines Master Executive Council (MEC) of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) announced to PAL Airlines Management its intention to open negotiations for the pilot group’s second collective agreement.  

    “To attract and retain pilots, we need improvements in scheduling, overtime pay, and the ability to use our earned vacation time,” said PAL Airlines MEC chair Captain Conrad Reid. “Our pilots are proud of where they work and have earned a contract that reflects the dedication, skill, and value they bring to the airline.”

    On July 1, 2023, Air Canada entered into an agreement with PAL Airlines to provide regional service in eastern Canada. This new flying agreement also expanded PAL’s operation with transborder services to both Boston, Mass., and Newark, N.J.

    “Our quality of life has taken a nosedive with operational growth. We are united in securing a contract that respects our limits and recognizes the value we bring to the airline and communities we serve,” added Capt. Reid.

    PAL Airlines employs roughly 150 pilots and operates scheduled passenger, cargo, and charter services across its destinations.

    Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents more than 79,000 pilots at 42 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit ALPA.org 

  • PAL Airlines Completes Inaugural Flight Under New Commercial Agreement with Air Canada

    On July 1, 2023, PAL Airlines completed its initial Air Canada Express flight under a newly completed commercial agreement between the two carriers, operating from St. John’s International Airport to Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

    ST. JOHN’S, NL, July 5, 2023 /CNW/ – On Saturday, July 1, 2023, PAL Airlines and Air Canada jointly completed the inaugural PAL Airlines operation of an Air Canada Express flight. Operated between St. John’s International Airport and Halifax Stanfield International Airport, this inaugural section was the first flight operated under a newly completed commercial agreement achieved between the two carriers to fortify regional service in eastern Canada.  

    The commercial agreement will see PAL Airlines acquire up to six additional Dash 8-400 aircraft to be progressively introduced into service on behalf of Air Canada for a term of up to five years. This is the most recent in a series of agreements achieved between the two carriers which have built connectivity and enhanced regional travel options in eastern Canada through the addition of PAL Airlines as an Aeroplan partner, the achievement of an interline agreement that allows for seamless customer connections between the two networks, and the sale of certain PAL Airlines flights on aircanada.com.

    “We’re tremendously excited to be working together with Air Canada to collaboratively develop and strengthen regional travel options across eastern Canada,” said Calvin Ash, President of PAL Airlines. “This most recent agreement preserves the existing PAL Airlines commercial network, substantially expands our airline operation, and supports our long-held strategy of building our business by staying attuned to the markets we serve. The inaugural flight that took place this weekend marks the start of an exciting new chapter for PAL Airlines, and a substantial step forward in our commercial relationship with Air Canada.”

    “PAL Airlines has a reputation as a strong operator and this agreement will allow us to provide added stability to our already extensive regional operations in eastern Canada. Our partnership will be beneficial for local communities as air connections support economic activity and tourism while keeping families and friends connected,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada. 

    About PAL Airlines:

    A proud member of the Exchange Income Corporation family of airlines, PAL Airlines is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and serves an extensive network of scheduled and charter destinations across Eastern Canada and Quebec. PAL Airlines has over 40 years experience in the aviation industry with a reputation built on safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service.

    For more information, please visit: www.palairlines.ca

  • PAL Airlines, a Subsidiary of Exchange Income Corporation, Signs Letter of Intent to Provide Regional Service in Eastern Canada on Behalf of Air Canada

    May 30, 2023

    ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland and Labrador–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PAL Airlines Ltd. (“PAL Airlines”), a subsidiary of Exchange Income Corporation (TSX: EIF) (“EIC” or the “Corporation”), has completed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Air Canada as a preliminary step towards the finalization of a commercial agreement between the two airlines for the provision of regional air services in eastern Canada (the “agreement”).

    The proposed agreement, which remains subject to final negotiations between the parties, would see PAL Airlines acquire up to six additional Dash 8-400 aircraft to be operated on behalf of Air Canada for a term of up to five years on regional routes in eastern Canada.

    Routes operated by PAL Airlines, on behalf of Air Canada under the Air Canada Express brand, pursuant to the proposed agreement would be in addition to the existing PAL Airlines scheduled and charter network throughout Eastern and Atlantic Canada.

    “PAL Airlines has steadily built its extensive presence in Eastern and Atlantic Canada by pursuing the strategic growth of sustainable, essential services that provide connectivity to national carrier networks,” said Calvin Ash, President of PAL Airlines.” This proposed arrangement with Air Canada is a complimentary extension of that strategy. It would support continued growth in our operation, deepen our ability to build regional connectivity, and fortify PAL Airlines’ presence in the communities who have always supported our development.”

    About PAL Airlines:

    A proud member of the Exchange Income Corporation family of airlines, PAL Airlines is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and serves an extensive network of scheduled and charter destinations across Eastern Canada and Quebec. PAL Airlines has over 40 years experience in the aviation industry with a reputation built on safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service.

    For more information, please visit: www.palairlines.ca

    About Exchange Income Corporation

    Exchange Income Corporation is a diversified acquisition-oriented company, focused in two sectors: aerospace & aviation services and equipment, and manufacturing. The Corporation uses a disciplined acquisition strategy to identify already profitable, well-established companies that have strong management teams, generate steady cash flow, operate in niche markets and have opportunities for organic growth.

  • Airlines who are hiring – Updated

    Air Creebec

    https://www.facebook.com/aircreebec.ca/posts/pfbid026rKDarwP98nqqn197dh3XKww1pj89CjVhTnJ425BBkN6pBpmkWFzuqKgbEfwgqncl

    Air Inuit

    https://www.facebook.com/AirInuit/posts/pfbid02nyFj175Muhtca85rfsv9XZNGW7uE3KJ1ns4SQJc3j8KxopymBdCjCDpzDnJQQPfgl

    Air North

    https://www.facebook.com/airnorth/photos/a.499855364664/10160829211629665/

    Air Tindi

    https://www.facebook.com/AirTindiLtd/posts/pfbid0wFTCfTYZP69tLqvZnaionZrgK7XYakMhZh1q7HU2He47DYFChgLXwhon9AdbeScMl

    Canadian North

    https://www.facebook.com/CanadianNorthAirlines/videos/772850074136589/

    Central Mountain Air

    https://www.facebook.com/flycma/photos/a.321195588060986/2121846501329210/

    Pacific Coastal Airlines

    https://www.facebook.com/PacificCoastalAir/photos/a.499701045508/10158913983580509/

    PAL Airlines

    https://www.facebook.com/PALairlines/photos/a.573528796084427/4887970281306902/

  • PAL Airlines and CUPE Reach First Collective Agreement

    April 06, 2022

    ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland and Labrador–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and PAL Airlines have ratified their first collective agreement, after two years of bargaining. Approximately 50 flight attendants who work for the airline in St. John’s, Halifax and Montréal are represented by CUPE 5451.

    “COVID-19 travel restrictions made negotiations a long and challenging process, but we were able to reach an agreement that is beneficial to both our members and the airline”

    The new three-year agreement will be in place from 2022 to 2025, and includes improvements to provisions regarding holiday pay, improvements to scheduling, as well as a new pay system to be implemented based on industry standard.

    “COVID-19 travel restrictions made negotiations a long and challenging process, but we were able to reach an agreement that is beneficial to both our members and the airline,” said CUPE 5451 President Courtney Decker. “Our members are proud to provide safe travel to passengers throughout the pandemic, and we look forward to doing so in the future.”

    “PAL Airlines is happy to reach this initial agreement with our flight attendant group and sincerely appreciates the collaborative approach to collective bargaining respected by all parties to this negotiation,” said Calvin Ash, president of PAL Airlines. “We’re thrilled to solidify the future of these vital employees and support their continued delivery of the safe, friendly in-flight services that travellers have come to expect from our team.”

    About CUPE

    CUPE Newfoundland Labrador represents approximately 6,300 public service workers in airlines, health care, education, treasury, public housing, provincial libraries, university, transition and group homes, child care, and more.

    About PAL Airlines

    A proud member of the Exchange Income Corporation family of airlines, PAL Airlines is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and serves an extensive network of scheduled and charter destinations across Eastern Canada and Quebec. PAL Airlines has over 40 years experience in the aviation industry with a reputation built on safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service. PAL Airlines was recently awarded our seventh Airline Reliability Award from De Havilland Canada for the Dash 8–100/200/300 Aircraft Program.

  • PAL Airlines Reaches Agreement with The Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association

    ST. JOHN’S, NL, March 7, 2022 /CNW/ – PAL Airlines today announced the ratification of its first collective agreement with the Canadian Airline Dispatchers Association (CALDA), representing the company’s Transport Canada certified Flight Dispatchers.

    “It is a pleasure to confirm today that PAL Airlines has now solidified our initial agreement with CALDA,” said Calvin Ash, President of PAL Airlines. “Our team of certified Flight Dispatchers are a critical component of our operations whose daily efforts ensure we can continue providing the essential services our customers depend on. On behalf of PAL Airlines, I would like to thank everyone involved in these negotiations and congratulate them on achieving an agreement that benefits all involved.”

    “CALDA welcomes the unanimous ratification of our first collective agreement with PAL Airlines,” said Russ Williams, CALDA National President. “Throughout these negotiations, CALDA was able to work collaboratively and professionally with management towards an agreement that addresses the needs of the professional Flight Dispatchers at PAL Airlines. We’re pleased with the result of our efforts, and with the commitments PAL Airlines has made for the future of these valued workers.”

    This is the third collective agreement ratified by PAL Airlines and its unions in the last 30 days. The Airline also ratified on two collective agreements with Teamsters Local 855, representing PAL Airlines Customer Service Agents and PAL Airlines Ground, Cargo and Commissary personnel respectively.   

    About PAL Airlines:

    A proud member of the Exchange Income Corporation family of airlines, PAL Airlines is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and serves an extensive network of scheduled and charter destinations across Eastern Canada and Quebec. PAL Airlines has over 40 years experience in the aviation industry with a reputation built on safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service. PAL Airlines was recently awarded our seventh Airline Reliability Award from De Havilland Canada for the Dash 8–100/200/300 Aircraft Program.

    For more information, please visit: www.palairlines.ca

  • PAL Airlines Reaches Agreement with Teamsters Union

    ST. JOHN’S, NL, Feb. 8, 2022 /CNW/ – PAL Airlines today announced the ratification of two collective agreements with Teamsters Local 855, representing PAL Airlines Customer Service Agents and PAL Airlines Ground, Cargo and Commissary personnel respectively.    

    “I am pleased to share that we have successfully completed our initial agreements with Teamsters Local 855,” said Calvin Ash, President of PAL Airlines. “Our Customer Service Agents, Ground, Cargo and Commissary personnel are vital and valued members of the PAL Airlines team. We would like to thank everyone involved in the bargaining process for their commitment to achieving a negotiated solution that benefits all involved. PAL Airlines will continue to support these important employees as they deliver the safe, high-quality services that travellers have come to expect from our team.”    

    “Teamsters Local 885 welcomes the ratification of these first collective agreements with PAL Airlines,” said Rick Gill, President, Teamsters Local 855. “Through an open and cooperative negotiation process with PAL Airlines management, we’ve been able to secure agreements for PAL Airlines Customer Service Agents and PAL Airlines Ground, Cargo and Commissary personnel that improve wages, enhance working conditions and secure the future for these valued workers at PAL.”  

    About PAL Airlines:

    A proud member of the Exchange Income Corporation family of airlines, PAL Airlines is based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and serves an extensive network of scheduled and charter destinations across Eastern Canada and Quebec. PAL Airlines has over 40 years experience in the aviation industry with a reputation built on safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service. PAL Airlines was recently awarded our seventh Airline Reliability Award from De Havilland Canada for the Dash 8–100/200/300 Aircraft Program.

    For more information, please visit: www.palairlines.ca

  • A year after consultations, Quebec’s regional air travel plan still stalled

    From CBC News – link to source story🔗

    Officials in the Gaspé and on the Magdalen Islands anxious for long-term solutions

    Josh Grant · CBC News · January 06, 2022

    An aircraft marshaller directs a plane on the tarmac at Gaspé’s Michel-Pouliot airport. Since Air Canada suspended regional flights in Quebec in 2020, people flying to the Gaspé, the Magdalen Islands and the North Shore have had limited options. (Radio-Canada)

    For people living on the Magdalen Islands, the North Shore and other remote parts of Quebec, air transport is more of a necessity than a luxury.

    That’s why in 2020, when Air Canada indefinitely suspended its regional routes in Quebec (and elsewhere in Canada) the CAQ government said it would intervene.

    Joël Arseneau, the Parti Québécois MNA for the Magdalen Islands and the party’s transport critic says the industry and the people who depend on it are still waiting to hear the plan.

    “For the Magdalen Islands and the lower North Shore, it’s our lifeline,” said Arseneau.

    “Right now the service is minimal because we’re not sure what the Quebec government will be doing,” he said. “[Both] in terms of a program to help regional transport develop and offer good prices but also a regular service.”

    In June, it will be two years since Air Canada cancelled its regional services and Arseneau says people in his riding are anxious to know what level of service will be provided during the busier spring and summer seasons when people visit family or return home from CEGEP or university.

    Last month, he put forward a petition at the National Assembly calling on the province to support a regional transportation co-operative that wants to create a Quebec airline that can offer cheaper flights.

    Airplanes bring communities in eastern and northern Quebec food, medication, goods and supplies that keep people fed, local businesses running and provide access to health services that aren’t available at regional hospitals. Regional flights are also crucial for the tourist industry during the warmer months. 

    Arseneau says when Air Canada left, Quebec created a committee to study all of the options for regional air travel and held five months of consultations with the leaders of communities most affected.

    He says the airlines that have stepped up to maintain services are waiting to find out if the government plans to subsidize them before they consider expanding their offer.

    “The committee met up until October, 2020 so we were expecting a conclusion by the end of that year or else the beginning of 2021,” he said. “And since then, we’ve been asking the government what its plans are and we still haven’t had any answers.”

    Limited options

    In 2021, Newfoundland’s PAL Airlines launched its first flight from Gaspé to the Magdalen Islands, joining Pascan Aviation as the only companies offering flights to the Gaspé, the Magdalen Islands and the North Shore.

    The mayor of Gaspé and president of the Union des municipalités du Québec, Daniel Côté, says the cost of a ticket is comparable to what it was in the past but the two airlines don’t fly nearly as often.

    “Everyone’s is kind of in waiting mode when it comes to this plan,” he said. “We’re hoping it will be ambitious.”

    While PAL Airlines and Pascan Aviation filled in some of the gaps left by Air Canada, Côté says the number of people flying into the regions has taken a nosedive due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and public health measures.

    Gaspé’s Michel-Pouliot airport used to see 25,000 annual passengers prior to the pandemic. In 2020, 6,300 people passed through the airport and in 2021, there were around 8,500.

    Arseneau says the waiting game and the impacts of COVID-19 have stalled economic development.

    “It’s making the entire industry wary as to develop services or not and this is where it’s very detrimental to our regions,” he said. “Everything is kind of stopped right now.”

    “What is needed is support from the government to the municipalities or the corporations that are running airports without having regular traffic.”

    Joël Arseneau is the Parti-Québecois MNA for the Magdalen Islands and the party’s transportation critic. He says remote regions of Quebec depend on air travel for food, goods and medical services and need the government’s help to make the industry more sustainable. (Radio-Canada)

    Bigger planes, lower costs

    While Pascan Aviation and PAL Airlines are already operating in Quebec, a regional transportation co-operative called TREQ says it’s ready to take a different approach to better serve the province and reduce the cost of flying.

    “What they want is to offer a service to many of Quebec’s remote cities and regions,” said Arseneau, “a service with larger planes, with lower rates … all year-round.”

    He says the co-op already has more than 15,000 members and its business model is based on medium-size airlines in Ontario and British Columbia that have successfully established themselves as the main service providers in remote regions.

    TREQ has already secured a loan from the federal government but wants the province to back it as well before launching operations.

    Coming soon, says Transport Ministry

    Arseneau says along with financial support for existing airlines, he hopes the government’s plan includes new regulations like price floors and price ceilings.

    He says setting a minimum and maximum price for flights within Quebec would prevent bigger airlines like Air Canada from re-entering the market, dropping their prices and putting smaller companies out of business — something that’s happened in the past.

    Asked where the province is at with its regional air travel plan, the office of Transport Minister François Bonnardel said it’s “working on it and hopes to be able to announce it soon.”

    The Transport Ministry said the file is complex, especially in the middle of a pandemic, but it says once all of the work is completed it will share the details, which “will be beneficial for Quebecers.”

    With files from Radio-Canada

  • From Quebec City to the North Pole: PAL Airlines spreads Christmas cheer

    From Quebec City to the North Pole: PAL Airlines spreads Christmas cheer

    From Travelweek Canada – link to source story

    By: Travelweek Group | December 17, 2021

    QUEBEC CITY — How did PAL Airlines pull off its first-ever flight to the ‘North Pole’? With a little bit of Christmas magic, of course.

    From Quebec City to the North Pole: PAL Airlines spreads Christmas cheer

    In the spirit of the holidays, the airline flew 30 deserving children from the Quebec City region to the ‘North Pole’ for a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus himself.

    The flight departed Dec. 11 from Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) on Dec. 11 with the kids and their families onboard. Upon landing, Santa came aboard to distribute presents and spread Christmas cheer.

    From Quebec City to the North Pole: PAL Airlines spreads Christmas cheer

    Judging by the many happy smiles, it was a successful mission for all. Happy holidays!