OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 29, 2020 /CNW/ – The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis that is having a significant impact on the air industry and Canadian travellers. As we continue to take steps to strengthen Canada’s air transportation network, the Government of Canada continues to implement a multi-layered framework of measures to protect Canadians, and help prevent air travel from being a source for the spread of the virus.
The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, has announced implementation of temperature screening for travellers at 11 additional Canadian airports. In June 2020, the Government of Canada announced a multi-phased approach to temperature screenings for all passengers travelling to Canada and travellers departing some Canadian airports, for either international or domestic destinations.
Temperature screening stations have been in place since July 30, 2020 at the four largest airports in Canada: Montréal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. This includes temperature screening for both departing passengers as well as non-passengers (e.g., airport workers, flight crews).
Since September 23, 2020, temperature screening is being conducted at these additional Canadian airports: St. John’s, Halifax, Québec City, Ottawa, Toronto – Billy Bishop, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Kelowna and Victoria. In addition, all employees and personnel that enter or work in the restricted area of these airports are subject to temperature screening procedures by Canadian Air Transport Security Authority personnel.
More and more Canadians and travellers are understanding the importance of staying home when feeling ill, as well as following other important safety measures such as good hygiene practices and wearing face coverings or non-medical masks during their travel.
All passengers who have an elevated temperature and do not have a medical certificate to explain a medical or physical condition that would result in an elevated temperature, are not permitted to continue their travel and are asked to re-book after 14 days.
Quote
“As Minister of Transport, my highest priority is the safety and security of Canadians and the transportation system. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canadians have come together, made sacrifices, and done their part to help limit the spread of the virus. Our Government has expanded temperature screenings to major airports across the country to support these efforts and as another measure in our multi-layered approach to help protect the safety of the travelling public and air industry workers. The collective efforts of all Canadians have helped us during the pandemic, and will continue to do so as we move forward.”
Minister of Transport The Honourable Marc Garneau
Quick Facts
Airport temperature screening has been endorsed by the International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
For international flights to Canada, air operators must conduct temperature screenings at the point of departure, unless the local authority has an equivalent measure in place, in addition to the existing required health check questions for symptoms prior to boarding.
Within Canada, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority screeners are conducting the temperature screening of passengers as part of departure screening procedures. This is in addition to the health screening questions and the requirement to wear face coverings that already exist for all passengers.
The move comes after Air Canada curtailed regional air service in Quebec.
Presse Canadienne • Aug 18, 2020
Pascan Terminal at St-Hubert Airport in 2008. / Courtesy Pascan Aviation, file photo
Longueuil-based regional airline Pascan Aviation on Monday increased its service to airports in Gaspé, Baie-Comeau and Montreal-Trudeau airport.
The company is also offering new morning flights departing from Fermont-Wabush to Sept-Îles, Quebec City and Montreal-Trudeau.
Pascan Aviation co-owner Yani Gagnon said the increase in regional service will offer better connections for international and inter-provincial flights from Montreal-Trudeau and Quebec City.
Pascan Aviation already offered daily flights from airports in the St-Hubert, Quebec City, Bonaventure, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Bagotville, Mont-Joli, Sept-Îles and Fermont-Wabush.
Pascan Aviation serves its regional market with a fleet of 34-seat SAAB 340B turbo-prop aircraft, offering full in-flight service.
In June, Air Canada announced the indefinite suspension of 30 regional routes, including flights out of eight Canadian regional airports that include Gaspé, Baie-Comeau, Mont-Joli and Val-d’Or and Fermont-Wabush.
Gaspé Mayor Daniel Côté said the service offered by Pascan Aviation responds to the needs of regular users of the local airport, describing regional air travel as an import element of economic development in the regions.
LONGUEUIL, QC, July 17, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ – Pascan Aviation, a leading regional carrier in Quebec with more than 20 years of experience, is pleased to announce the expansion of its network starting on August 17, 2020. Pascan Aviation currently offers daily scheduled flights covering 8 airports (St.Hubert, Quebec, Bonaventure, Madeleine Islands, Bagotville, Mont-Joli, Sept-Îles, and Fermont-Wabush) over which are added Gaspé, Baie-Comeau, and Montreal-Trudeau. Early morning flights from Fermont-Wabush connecting to Sept-Îles, Quebec and Montreal-Trudeau are also added. Mr. Yani Gagnon, co-owner, comments: “Since its inception, Pascan’s mission is to connect the regions to city-centers, but also to connect the regions between themselves. With the expansion of our regional services, we now offer never-equaled connectivity in Eastern Quebec, with connecting possibility for international and interprovincial flights in Montreal-Trudeau and Quebec airports. We want to reassure the population in the regions that we are poised to fill the void left by the withdrawal of Air Canada in the regional market”.
Mr. Julian Roberts, co-owner, adds: “Our priority has always been to offer safe and reliable service while responding to the needs of the regions. There are currently a lot of discussions on issues relating to regional air transportation, and we have decided to take immediate actions to ensure a leading role in regional aviation. A couple months back, we initiated an aircraft fleet changeover process, and we now can serve the regional market with turboprop SAAB 340B aircraft, with 34-seats configuration and full on-board services. We are also working on finalizing interlining agreements with several national and international airlines in order to enhance our service offer. We are taking a dominant position in the skies of Quebec”.
Pascan Aviation has had financial support from BDC and Investissement Quebec for years, and is now also partnering with Miami-based Jetstream Aviation Capital, the world’s largest owner and lessor of SAAB turboprop regional aircraft and engines. Mr. Stuart Klaskin, president and CEO of Jetstream Aviation Capital, comments: “What Pascan has accomplished on the regional market over the past 20 years is extraordinary, and we are extremely confident of the positioning that Pascan is undertaking to address and finding long-lasting solutions on issues relating to regional aviation. We are committed with Pascan over the long-term with the potential delivery, if needed, of up to 20 SAAB 340B, and 10 SAAB 2000 which are 50-seats configuration”.
Schedule highlights airline’s continued service to 39 Canadian cities from coast-to-coast
Airline’s stringent health and safety measures ensure Canadians can travel safely to 48 destinations
CALGARY, AB, July 13, 2020 /CNW/ – WestJet today released its updated August schedule featuring more than 200 daily flights to 48 destinations across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. The schedule features service to 39 domestic airports and further highlights the airline’s commitment to ensuring air service and regional connectivity is available to Canadians from coast-to-coast.
The updated schedule is supported by the layered framework WestJet has built to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. The airline continues to provide flexibility in booking, change and cancellation policies for guests.
“With the many safeguards and procedures in place, we are certain Canadians can safely resume travel to destinations across our network,” said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “We continue to adapt our schedule to meet the needs of our guests and through our continued investments economies can begin to recover with the support of domestic tourism driven by air travel.”
Between July 15 through to September 4, 2020, WestJet will increase domestic frequencies and offer operations to 48 destinations including 39 in Canada, five in the U.S., two in Europe, one in the Caribbean, one in Mexico.
The airline will reintroduce non-stop Dreamliner service from Calgary to London (Gatwick) and Paris effective August 20, 2020 and will continue to serve five key transborder destinations including Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York (LaGuardia) and Orlando. The airline will also offer service to Cancun, Mexico and will resume operations once-weekly to Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Continued von zur Muehlen, “Despite these headwinds, we are committed to ensuring air travel remains affordable and accessible to Canadians from coast-to-coast during this difficult time. While an increase in flying is a positive sign, we are prudently monitoring our guests loads to ensure we are managing our airline and the health of our guests and crew responsibly.”
The August schedule reflects approximately a 10 per cent increase in flying from July, but a decrease of 75 per cent less flying from August 2019. It also includes select frequency reductions and temporary domestic route suspensions between stations across Canada due to continued border closures and provincial travel restrictions.
At this time, the airline is planning on operating the following domestic routes and frequencies from July 16 to September 4. The below frequencies represent peak service within this time frame:
ALBERTA AND NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Calgary-Abbotsford
2x daily
Calgary-Comox
1x daily
Calgary-Cranbrook
4x weekly
Calgary-Fort St. John
2x daily
Calgary-Kamloops
1x daily
Calgary-Kelowna
3x daily
Calgary-Nanaimo
1x daily
Calgary-Penticton
1x daily
Calgary-Vancouver
7x daily
Calgary-Victoria
2x daily
Calgary-Edmonton
6x daily
Calgary-Fort McMurray
3x daily
Calgary-Grande Prairie
3x daily
Calgary-Lethbridge
3x weekly
Calgary-Lloydminster
2x weekly
Calgary-Medicine Hat
2x weekly
Calgary-Yellowknife
4x weekly
Calgary-Brandon
3x weekly
Calgary-Regina
3x daily
Calgary-Saskatoon
3x daily
Calgary-Winnipeg
3x daily
Calgary-Hamilton
4x weekly
Calgary-Kitchener/Waterloo
4x weekly
Calgary-Toronto
6x daily
Edmonton-Comox
2x weekly
Edmonton-Kelowna
6x weekly
Edmonton-Vancouver
3x daily
Edmonton-Victoria
1x daily
Edmonton-Calgary
6x daily
Edmonton-Fort McMurray
6x weekly
Edmonton-Grande Prairie
6x weekly
Edmonton-Regina
5x weekly
Edmonton-Saskatoon
6x weekly
Edmonton-Winnipeg
6x weekly
Edmonton-Toronto
3x daily
Fort McMurray-Calgary
3x daily
Fort McMurray-Edmonton
6x weekly
Grande Prairie-Calgary
3x daily
Grande Prairie-Edmonton
6x weekly
Lethbridge-Calgary
3x weekly
Lloydminster-Calgary
2x weekly
Medicine Hat-Calgary
2x weekly
Yellowknife-Calgary
4x weekly
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND YUKON
Abbotsford-Calgary
2x daily
Comox-Calgary
1x daily
Cranbrook-Calgary
4x weekly
Fort St John-Calgary
2x daily
Fort St John-Vancouver
4x weekly
Kamloops-Calgary
1x daily
Kelowna-Vancouver
1x daily
Kelowna-Calgary
3x daily
Kelowna-Edmonton
6x weekly
Nanaimo-Calgary
1x daily
Penticton-Calgary
1x daily
Prince George-Vancouver
3x daily
Terrace-Vancouver
1x daily
Vancouver-Kelowna
1x daily
Vancouver-Prince George
3x daily
Vancouver-Terrace
1x daily
Vancouver-Victoria
2x daily
Vancouver-Calgary
7x daily
Vancouver-Edmonton
3x daily
Vancouver-Winnipeg
6x weekly
Vancouver-Toronto
4x daily
Victoria-Vancouver
2x daily
Victoria-Calgary
2x daily
Victoria-Edmonton
1x daily
ONTARIO
Hamilton-Calgary
4x weekly
Kitchener/Waterloo-Calgary
4x weekly
London, ON-Toronto
6x weekly
Ottawa-Calgary
6x weekly
Ottawa-Toronto
4x daily
Ottawa-Halifax
2x weekly
Thunder Bay-Winnipeg
2x weekly
Thunder Bay-Toronto
6x weekly
Toronto-Vancouver
4x daily
Toronto-Calgary
6x daily
Toronto-Edmonton
3x daily
Toronto-Regina
3x weekly
Toronto-Saskatoon
3x weekly
Toronto-Winnipeg
3x daily
Toronto-London, ON
6x weekly
Toronto-Ottawa
4x daily
Toronto-Thunder Bay
4x weekly
Toronto-Montreal
4x daily
Toronto-Quebec City
4x weekly
Toronto-Charlottetown
6x weekly
Toronto-Deer Lake
4x weekly
Toronto-Fredericton
5x weekly
Toronto-Halifax
3x daily
Toronto-Moncton
5x weekly
Toronto-St. John’s (NL)
1x daily
SASKATCHEWAN AND MANITOBA
Brandon-Calgary
3x weekly
Regina-Calgary
3x daily
Regina-Edmonton
5x weekly
Regina-Toronto
3x weekly
Saskatoon-Calgary
3x daily
Saskatoon-Edmonton
6x weekly
Saskatoon-Winnipeg
2x weekly
Saskatoon-Toronto
3x weekly
Winnipeg-Vancouver
6x weekly
Winnipeg-Calgary
3x daily
Winnipeg-Edmonton
6x weekly
Winnipeg-Saskatoon
2x weekly
Winnipeg-Thunder Bay
2x weekly
Winnipeg-Toronto
3x daily
QUEBEC
Montreal-Calgary
6x weekly
Montreal-Toronto
4x daily
Quebec City-Toronto
4x weekly
ATLANTIC CANADA
Charlottetown-Toronto
6x weekly
Deer Lake-Toronto
4x weekly
Fredericton-Toronto
5x weekly
Halifax-Calgary
1x daily
Halifax-Ottawa
2x weekly
Halifax-Toronto
3x daily
Halifax- St. John’s (NL)
1x daily
Halifax-Sydney
2x weekly
Moncton-Toronto
5x weekly
St. John’s (NL)-Toronto
1x daily
St. John’s (NL)-Halifax
1x daily
Sydney-Halifax
2x weekly
At this time, the airline is planning on operating the following transborder and international routes from July 16 to September 4, 2020.
Market
Planned frequency
Calgary – Los Angeles
3x weekly
Calgary – Las Vegas
2x weekly
Calgary – Atlanta
4x weekly
Calgary – London Gatwick
3 weekly effective August 20
Calgary – Paris
2x weekly effective August 20
Vancouver – Los Angeles
3x weekly
Toronto – LaGuardia
5x weekly
Toronto – Orlando
1x weekly
Toronto – Cancun
1x weekly
Toronto – Montego Bay
1x weekly
Temporary domestic route suspensions for July 16 – September 4, 2020.
Regional flying rationalized due to COVID-19 and government travel restrictions, part of airline’s Cost Reduction Program to reduce cash burn
MONTREAL, June 30, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada said today that it is indefinitely suspending service on 30 domestic regional routes and closing eight stations at regional airports in Canada.
These structural changes to Air Canada’s domestic regional network are being made as a result of continuing weak demand for both business and leisure travel due to COVID-19 and provincial and federal government-imposed travel restrictions and border closures, which are diminishing prospects for a near-to-mid-term recovery.
As the company has previously reported, Air Canada expects the industry’s recovery will take a minimum of three years. As a consequence, other changes to its network and schedule, as well as further service suspensions, will be considered over the coming weeks as the airline takes steps to decisively reduce its overall cost structure and cash burn rate.
A full list of route suspensions and station closures is below.
As a result of COVID-19, Air Canada reported a net loss of $1.05 billion in the first quarter of 2020, including a net cash-burn in March of $688 million. The carrier has undertaken a range of structural changes including significant cost savings and liquidity measures, of which today’s announced service suspensions form part. Other measures include:
A workforce reduction of approximately 20,000 employees, representing more than 50 per cent of its staff, achieved through layoffs, severances, early retirements and special leaves;
A company-wide Cost Reduction and Capital Deferral Program, that has to date identified around $1.1 billion in savings;
A reduction of its system-wide capacity by approximately 85 per cent in the second quarter compared to last year’s second quarter and an expected third quarter capacity reduction of at least 75% from the third quarter of 2019;
The permanent removal of 79 aircraft from its mainline and Rouge fleets;
And raising approximatively $5.5 billion in liquidity since March 13, 2020, through a series of debt, aircraft and equity financings.
Further initiatives are being considered.
Route Suspensions
The following routes will be suspended indefinitely as per applicable regulatory notice requirements. Affected customers will be contacted by Air Canada and offered options, including alternative routings where available.
Maritimes/Newfoundland and Labrador:
Deer Lake-Goose Bay;
Deer Lake-St. John’s;
Fredericton-Halifax;
Fredericton-Ottawa;
Moncton-Halifax;
Saint John-Halifax;
Charlottetown-Halifax;
Moncton-Ottawa;
Gander-Goose Bay;
Gander-St. John’s;
Bathurst-Montreal;
Wabush-Goose Bay;
Wabush-Sept-Iles;
Goose Bay-St. John’s.
Quebec/Ontario:
Baie Comeau-Montreal;
Baie Comeau-Mont Joli;
Gaspé-Iles de la Madeleine;
Gaspé-Quebec City;
Sept-Iles-Quebec City;
Val d’Or-Montreal;
Mont Joli-Montreal;
Rouyn-Noranda-Val d’Or;
Kingston-Toronto;
London-Ottawa;
North Bay-Toronto
Windsor-Montreal
Western Canada:
Regina-Winnipeg;
Regina-Saskatoon;
Regina-Ottawa;
Saskatoon-Ottawa.
Station Closures
The following are the Regional Airports where Air Canada is closing its stations:
Airline continues to focus on significant safety and hygiene enhancements to ensure a safe travel journey
CALGARY, AB, June 15, 2020 /CNW/ – WestJet today released its updated July schedule, developed to allow Canadians the pleasure of summer travel while economically supporting communities across the country in safely reopening travel and domestic tourism. In addition, the airline has added flights to select U.S. markets.
To ensure guests can book with confidence, the airline maintains its stringent Safety Above All hygiene program and continues to provide flexibility in booking, change and cancellation policies.
“Today’s schedule reflects our commitment to orderly and safe travel while providing steps to allow Canadians to get out, explore, and take part in critical economic activities like staying in hotels, eating out, visiting tourist attractions or simply just travelling to see friends and family,” said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “Governments and Canadians from coast-to-coast are working together to lessen the impact of this pandemic and we are grateful that these efforts have put us in a position to add more options for travel this July.”
From July 5 through August 4, 2020, WestJet will offer operations to 45 destinations including 39 in Canada, five in the U.S. and one in Mexico an increase of approximately 102 per cent more flights from June, but down 76 per cent from July 2019.
Continued von zur Muehlen, “As we emerge from the pandemic, health vigilance must be balanced with the gradual reopening of our economy. WestJet has done our part and spent millions of dollars to ensure the safety and well-being of our guests and our people. We’re ready to get Canadians flying.”
On March 22, WestJet suspended its international and transborder operations. The airline’s schedule now contains flights to key transborder and international destinations including Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta (ATL) and Las Vegas (LAS).
“Jurisdictions around the world are opening, allowing citizens to begin flying once again which is kickstarting their economies for recovery. We’ve heard from the communities we serve and look forward to having Canadians safely participate and stimulate domestic tourism this summer,” stated von zur Muehlen.
At this time, the airline is planning on operating the following domestic routes and frequencies from July 5 – August 4.
Awards recognize the largest number of winning airports ever this year
Results based on ACI World’s industry-leading Airport Service Quality programme
Montreal, 9 March 2020 – Airports Council International (ACI) World has today revealed the winners of its world-renowned Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards.
The awards recognize those airports around the world that deliver the best customer experience in the opinion of their own passengers. This year, 140 awards have been won by 84 individual airports which is the largest ever number of recipients.
Consistent winners Indianapolis International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, and Toronto Pearson, Aeroporto di Roma-Fiumicino, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and Sheremetyevo International Airport have this year been joined by first time recipients from all regions.
First time recipients include Kotoka International Airport (Accra, Ghana), Mangalore Airport (Mangalore, India), Supadio Airport (Pontianak, Indonesia), Aalesund Airport (Alesund, Norway), Aeropuerto de El Hierro (Valverde, Spain), Aeropuerto de Melilla (Melilla, Spain), Aeropuerto de San Sebastián (San Sebastián, Spain), Bodo Airport (Bodo, Norway), Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport (İzmir, Turkey), Copenhagen Airport (Copenhagen, Denmark), Aeropuertos Ecologicos de Galapagos S.A. Ecogal (Galapagos, Ecuador), Capital Region International Airport (Lansing, United States), Stockholm-Bromma Airport (Stockholm, Sweden), and St. John’s International Airport (St. John’s, Canada).
“The Airport Service Quality Awards represent the highest possible recognition for airport operators around the world and recognize excellence in customer experience,” ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said. “The awards this year have been won by a diverse group of winning airports from around the world which illustrates the industry-wide commitment to delivering exceptional customer experience.
“Delivering a better customer experience is an important business strategy in an increasingly competitive airport industry. ACI’s global ASQ programme is the only one that not only recognises excellence but also provides airports with objective measurement and benchmarking to help drive their performance.
“We are pleased to note that the five winning airports in the category of ‘Best airport by size and region (under two million passenger per year in Europe)’, are all first-time winners of an ASQ award.”
The winning airports will come together at the ASQ Awards Ceremony to be held during the third ACI Customer Experience Global Summit, taking place in Krakow, Poland in September.
The Airport Service Quality programme is the world’s leading airport customer experience measurement and benchmarking programme. The ASQ Departures programme measures passengers’ satisfaction across 34 key performance indicators. In 2019, more than half of the world’s 8.8 billion travellers passed through an ASQ airport.
ASQ DEPARTURES AWARDS
Award Category
Airport Name
City and Country
Best Airport by Size and Region
AFRICA
Under 2 million passengers
George Airport
George, South Africa
Kimberley Airport
Kimberley, South Africa
Upington International Airport
Upington, South Africa
2 – 5 million passengers
Kotoka International Airport
Accra, Ghana
SSR International Airport
Port Louis, Mauritius
5 – 15 million passengers
King Shaka International Airport
Durban, South Africa
Mohammed V International Airport
Casablanca, Morocco
ASIA-PACIFIC
Under 2 million passengers
Depati Amir Airport
Pangkal Pinang City, Indonesia
RH Fisabilillah Airport
Bintan, Indonesia
Silangit Airport
Tapanuli, Indonesia
2 – 5 million passengers
Chandigarh Airport
Chandigarh, India
Husein Sastranegara Airport
Bandung, Indonesia
Mangalore Airport
Mangalore, India
SM Badaruddin II Airport
Palembang, Indonesia
SS Kasim II Airport
Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Supadio Airport
Pontianak, Indonesia
Trivandrum International Airport
Thiruvananthapuram, India
5 – 15 million passengers
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport
Lucknow, India
Cochin International Airport
Cochin, India
Halim Perdanakusuma Airport
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hohhot Baita International Airport
Hohhot, China
Makassar International Airport – Sultan Hasanuddin
Makassar, Indonesia
Sepinggan International Airport
Balikpapan, Indonesia
15 – 25 million passengers
Bali International Airport – I Gusti Ngurah Rai
Bali, Indonesia
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
Hyderabad, India
Sanya Fenghua International Airport
Sanya, China
25 – 40 million passengers
Kempegowda International Airport
Bangalore, India
Nanjing Lukou International Airport
Nanjing, China
Over 40 million passengers
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport
Mumbai, India
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Delhi, India
Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai Pu Dong, China
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore, Singapore
EUROPE
Under 2 million passengers
Aalesund Airport
Alesund, Norway
Aeropuerto de El Hierro
Valverde, Spain
Aeropuerto de Melilla
Melilla, Spain
Aeropuerto de San Sebastián
San Sebastián, Spain
Bodo Airport
Bodo, Norway
2 – 5 million passengers
Aeropuerto de Menorca
Menorca, Spain
Skopje International Airport
Skopje, North Macedonia
Tallinn Airport
Tallinn, Estonia
Zagreb Airport
Zagreb, Croatia
5 – 15 million passengers
Aeropuerto de Alicante-Elche
Alicante, Spain
Bergen Airport
Bergen, Norway
Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport
İzmir, Turkey
Sochi International Airport
Sochi, Russia
Keflavik International Airport
Keflavik, Iceland
Malta International Airport
Luqa, Malta
Newcastle International Airport Ltd
Newcastle, United Kingdom
Porto Francisco sa Carneiro Airport
Porto, Portugal
15 – 25 million passengers
Esenboga Airport
Ankara, Turkey
Prague Airport
Prague, Czech Republic
Pulkovo Airport
St. Petersburg, Russia
25 – 40 million passengers
Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen, Denmark
Flughafen Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Oslo-Gardermoen Airport
Oslo, Norway
Over 40 million passengers
Aeroporto di Roma-Fiumicino
Rome, Italy
Sheremetyevo International Airport
Moscow, Russia
LATIN AMERICA-CARIBBEAN
Under 2 million passengers
Aeropuertos Ecologicos de Galapagos S.A. Ecogal
Galapagos, Ecuador
Aeropuerto Internacional Gregorio Luperón
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Airport International Daniel Oduber Quiros
Liberia, Costa Rica
2 – 5 million passengers
Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco
Montevideo, Uruguay
Aeropuerto Internacional Jose Joaquín Olmedo
Guayaquil, Ecuador
5 – 15 million passengers
Aeropuerto Internacional de los Cabos
Los Cabos, Mexico
Aeropuerto Internacional Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
MIDDLE EAST
5 – 15 million passengers
Queen Alia International Airport
Amman, Jordan
NORTH AMERICA
Under 2 million passengers
Capital Region International Airport
Lansing, United States
Jean-Lesage International Airport
Quebec, Canada
2 – 5 million passengers
El Paso International Airport
El Paso, United States
Portland International Jetport
Portland, United States
5 – 15 million passengers
Indianapolis International Airport
Indianapolis, United States
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
Cincinnati, United States
Jacksonville International Airport
Jacksonville, United States
15 – 25 million passengers
Dallas Love Field Airport
Dallas, United States
Tampa International Airport
Tampa, United States
25 – 40 million passengers
Minneapolis/St Paul International Airport
Minneapolis, United States
Over 40 million passengers
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas, United States
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto, Canada
Award Category
Airport Name
City and Country
Most Improved
AFRICA
Kotoka International Airport
Accra, Ghana
ASIA-PACIFIC
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Jakarta, Indonesia
EUROPE
Stockholm-Bromma Airport
Stockholm, Sweden
LATIN AMERICA-CARIBBEAN
Airport International Daniel Oduber Quirós
Liberia, Costa Rica
MIDDLE EAST
Muscat International Airport
Muscat, Oman
NORTH AMERICA
St. John’s International Airport
St. John’s, Canada
Best Environment and Ambience by Size
Under 2 million passengers
Depati Amir Airport
Pangkal Pinang City, Indonesia
RH Fisabilillah Airport
Bintan, Indonesia
Salalah Airport
Salalah, Oman
Silangit Airport
Tapanuli, Indonesia
2 – 5 million passengers
Chandigarh Airport
Chandigarh, India
SM Badaruddin II Airport
Palembang, Indonesia
SS Kasim II Airport
Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Supadio Airport
Pontianak, Indonesia
5 – 15 million passengers
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport
Lucknow, India
Halim Perdanakusuma Airport
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hohhot Baita International Airport
Hohhot, China
Sepinggan International Airport
Balikpapan, Indonesia
Yinchuan Hedong Airport
Yinchuan, China
15 – 25 million passengers
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport
Hyderabad, India
Sanya Fenghua International Airport
Sanya, China
25 – 40 million passengers
Kempegowda International Airport
Bangalore, India
Nanjing Lukou International Airport
Nanjing, China
Over 40 million passengers
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport
Chongqing, China
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore, Singapore
Best Customer Service by Size
Under 2 million passengers
Depati Amir Airport
Pangkal Pinang City, Indonesia
RH Fisabilillah Airport
Bintan, Indonesia
Salalah Airport
Salalah, Oman
Silangit Airport
Tapanuli, Indonesia
2 – 5 million passengers
Chandigarh Airport
Chandigarh, India
SM Badaruddin II Airport
Palembang, Indonesia
SS Kasim II Airport
Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Supadio Airport
Pontianak, Indonesia
5 – 15 million passengers
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport
Lucknow, India
Halim Perdanakusuma Airport
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hohhot Baita International Airport
Hohhot, China
Sepinggan International Airport
Balikpapan, Indonesia
Yinchuan Hedong Airport
Yinchuan, China
15 – 25 million passengers
Bali International Airport – I Gusti Ngurah Rai
Bali, Indonesia
Sanya Fenghua International Airport
Sanya, China
25 – 40 million passengers
Kempegowda International Airport
Bangalore, India
Nanjing Lukou International Airport
Nanjing, China
Over 40 million passengers
Chongqing Jianbei International Airport
Chongqing, China
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore, Singapore
Best Infrastructure and Facilitation by Size
Under 2 million passengers
Depati Amir Airport
Pangkal Pinang City, Indonesia
RH Fisabilillah Airport
Bintan, Indonesia
Salalah Airport
Salalah, Oman
Silangit Airport
Tapanuli, Indonesia
2 – 5 million passengers
Chandigarh Airport
Chandigarh, India
SM Badaruddin II Airport
Palembang, Indonesia
SS Kasim II Airport
Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Supadio Airport
Pontianak, Indonesia
5 – 15 million passengers
Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport
Lucknow, India
Halim Perdanakusuma Airport
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hohhot Baita International Airport
Hohhot, China
Makassar International Airport – Sultan Hasanuddin
Makassar, Indonesia
Sepinggan International Airport
Balikpapan, Indonesia
15 – 25 million passengers
Bali International Airport – I Gusti Ngurah Rai
Bali, Indonesia
Sanya Fenghua International Airport
Sanya, China
25 – 40 million passengers
Kempegowda International Airport
Bangalore, India
Nanjing Lukou International Airport
Nanjing, China
Over 40 million passengers
Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing, China
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore, Singapore
ASQ ARRIVALS AWARD
Category
Airport name
City and Country
Best Airport Experience in Arrivals
Kempegowda International Airport
Bangalore, India
The ASQ programme applies a three-level quality funnel process combining remote and on-site auditing to review more than 150 unique check points to ensure ASQ data collection requirements are achieved by all participating airports. The quality check points ensure the benchmarking and findings from the ASQ departure survey remain of the highest quality.
To be eligible for an ASQ Award, an airport must be compliant across all quality checks throughout the year. Any breach of the data collection requirements results in the exclusion from ASQ Awards. Through ACI’s stringent approach to quality, airports can be assured of the validity of the data.
Notes for editors
Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2020, ACI serves 668 members, operating 1979 airports in 176 countries.
Learn more about the ACI ASQ Programme which includes a full suite of customer experience solutions, including the ACI employee survey for customer experience, the ASQ arrival surveys, and the new ASQ Commercial Survey. ASQ delivers 640,000 individual surveys per year in 47 languages across 91 countries.
Québec City, April 22, 2020 – At its meeting on April 21, 2020, the Board of Directors of Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) elected Lise Lapierre as its new Chair. Ms. Lapierre has been a director since 2012 and served as the Vice-Chair of the Board until her nomination. She succeeds Jean-Claude Labbé, who has chaired the Board for the past year and whose third and final term as director ended in 2020.
“I intend to fulfil this important role with care, commitment, loyalty and pride in the trajectory that our organization has been taking for two decades now. At a time when COVID-19 rocks the airline industry, both domestically and internationally, I intend to work with the directors, our team and local driving forces to put Québec City’s airport in a good position to bounce back when the time comes,” stated Ms. Lapierre, who is the first woman to chair YQB’s Board of Directors.
After a career in risk capital as an associate director at Accès Capital Québec, which specialized in financing Québec businesses, Lise Lapierre has moved to corporate governance and now sits on several boards of directors. She holds FCPA, FCA and ASC designations, has more than 20 years of experience in financing and investment and has successfully closed many investment transactions for companies in a variety of sectors.
The outgoing Chair, Jean-Claude Labbé, is leaving the Board of Directors at the end of the three terms allowed by the governance rules. “As our company approaches its 20th anniversary, we can see how our airport has changed, developed and stepped fully into its role as a driver of economic development. We now have all the tools in place to shape our future,” stated Mr. Labbé, who has been on YQB’s Board of Directors since 2011. “2019 was a year of major changes for YQB, both physically and organizationally. I am proud to have helped this transition succeed. I know that our management team and Board of Directors will be able to handle the COVID-19 crisis well and continue developing YQB’s potential when the time comes.”
From: Department of Finance Canada ~ 30 March 2020
Backgrounder
The Government of Canada recognizes the unprecedented disruption to the air transportation sector resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, air passenger traffic has declined significantly as governments around the world impose border restrictions and advise their citizens to avoid unnecessary travel as a measure to slow the progression of the disease.
Support to Airports
Airports rely on fees paid by airlines and passengers to sustain their operations. As passenger traffic declines, airports are seeing their revenues fall, while at the same time they need to ensure safe operations.
To help airports reduce cost pressures and preserve cash flow as they deal with the effects of COVID-19 on their revenue, the government is waiving rents paid on ground leases for the 21 airport authorities that form part of the National Airport System and that pay rent to the government. The government will waive rent payments for March 2020 through December 2020. The government is also providing comparable treatment for PortsToronto, which operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, by waiving payments made to the federal government on revenues generated by the airport. This will provide relief up to $331.4 million, reflecting payments in the same period of 2018.
By waiving ground lease payments, the government is helping these airport authorities to preserve cash flow during the disruption. This will allow them to redeploy cash to help maintain their operations and to support recovery strategies. This approach is consistent with actions taken to support the sector during previous major disruptions, such as the SARS outbreak in 2003.
The 21 National Airport System airport authorities covered by this measure are not-for-profit, non-share capital corporations that pay rents to operate airports in Canada under long-term leases with Transport Canada. Rents are based on revenues earned from operating the airports and related lands, which are owned by the government.
The 21 airport authorities that will receive relief are:
St. John’s International Airport Authority
Gander International Airport Authority Inc.
Halifax International Airport Authority
Charlottetown Airport Authority Inc.
Saint John Airport Inc.
Greater Moncton International Airport Authority Inc.
Fredericton International Airport Authority
Aéroport de Québec Inc.
Aéroports de Montréal
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority
Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Greater London International Airports Authority
Thunder Bay International Airports Inc.
Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc.
Regina Airport Authority
Saskatoon Airport Authority
Edmonton Regional Airports Authority
Calgary Airport Authority
Prince George Airport Authority Inc.
Vancouver International Airport Authority
Victoria Airport Authority.
PortsToronto operates the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and pays an annual charge to Transport Canada based on the revenues it earns under the terms of its letters patent. PortsToronto revenues include those generated from operating Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
NETWORK AND SCHEDULE CHANGES – WestJet announces schedule updates through May 4 and select seasonal route start dates
On Thursday, March 26 WestJet marked the last day of our planned transborder (U.S.) and international (Europe, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean) flying due to the COVID-19 crisis and the closing of international borders.
This is a difficult time as we temporarily say goodbye to these airports that have helped WestJet grow beyond our domestic borders and brought the pleasure and ease of worldwide travel to millions of Canadians.
We thank all of our airport partners, our contractors and our guests for their support and we look forward to resuming flights when we emerge from these turbulent times.
INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSBORDER
As the crisis continues, we have now updated our international and transborder schedule to temporarily remove flying through May 4, 2020. For our guests who have booked their travel after April 22 through May 4, we are proactively notifying you of your travel options.
Seasonal international route starts dates have been updated as follows:
Toronto – Barcelona starts June 5, 2020
Calgary – Rome starts June 4, 2020
Halifax – Manchester has been cancelled for summer 2020. WestJet will be reaccomodating guests on Halifax – London (Gatwick)
DOMESTIC
Our domestic schedule has also now been updated through May 4. Details remain the same as communicated earlier this week (see schedule below) with the exception of Grande Prairie. Due to newly reduced airport operating hours, we have reduced the daily Calgary – Grand Prairie schedule by two flights. WestJet will continue to fly once daily. In addition, Edmonton – Grande Prairie has been suspended until further notice.
Select seasonal domestic routes will start July 3, 2020 including:
Calgary – Whitehorse
Calgary – Dawson Creek
Calgary – Windsor
Toronto – Deer Lake
Halifax – Gander
For our guests who have booked their travel prior to July 3, we are proactively notifying you of your travel options.
We understand the uncertainty our guests, WestJetters and partners face, and we thank them for their continued patience.
