Delta Airlines flight 4811 bound for Minneapolis slid off a taxiway prior to take-off at approximately 6:15 am. Passengers have been safely returned to the airport terminal. Saskatoon Airport Authority can confirm that no one was injured in the incident.
Freezing rain caused a near-dangerous incident at Saskatoon’s John G. Diefenbaker airport Friday morning, delaying one dad’s start to his Christmas break in the U.S.
Crews tend a Delta Airlines plane that reportedly slid off the runway at the Saskatoon airport on Dec. 21, 2018. (Submitted by Scott Jenkins) 650 CKOM News
A Delta Airlines plane bound for Minneapolis, Minn. and operated by SkyWest slid off the runway prior to take-off, leaving its passengers stranded.
Scott Jenkins, his wife and two kids were on the first leg of their trip to see family in Kansas City, Mo. The plane, flight DL-4811, was originally slated for a 6:15 a.m. take off.
“You kind of had to look outside to see what actually happened. There was no violent force or anything. It was just you slid, you see a bunch of snow, and you’re like, ‘well we went off the runway,’” he said.
Airport emergency crews responded right away.
“They started shovelling the ditch. I think they were trying to pull the plane out with us in it,” Jenkins said. “Then they decided it wasn’t going to work, so they brought buses out. We unloaded right on the runway, and they brought us back.”
That was at about 8 a.m.
Despite the delay, Jenkins said he’s glad he and his kids are OK.
Officials with the Saskatoon Airport Authority said none of the 74 people on board were injured.
At about 10 a.m., Delta sent an emailed statement about the release.
“While taxiing for departure, SkyWest flight 4811, operating as Delta Connection from Saskatoon, Canada to Minneapolis, partially left the taxiway,” the statement said.
“Customers deplaned normally through the main cabin door and were transported back to the terminal by bus. We are working to help customers safely resume their travels to Minneapolis as quickly as possible.”
The flight’s new departure time is now set for 3 p.m.
West Wind’s plan includes a major expansion, beginning with the addition of more flights between Saskatoon and Regina, and the possibility of a fleet expansion
Alex MacPherson, Saskatoon StarPhoenix November 22, 2018
A member of the ground crew personnel readies a West Wind Aviation plane at the Shell Aero Centre for a flight to Saskatoon. DON HEALY / REGINA LEADER-POST
Saskatchewan’s largest airline is making sweeping changes to its organizational structure and operations.
West Wind’s new chief executive officer said the changes are part of an attempt at reinvention after an extremely difficult year.
The plan includes a major expansion, beginning with the addition of more “briefcase and suits” flights between Saskatoon and Regina, and the possibility of a fleet expansion, Michael Rodyniuk said Wednesday.
It also includes “wholesale” changes in the airline’s Saskatoon offices. Multiple executives have “departed” and three new ones — including a veteran military pilot — have been installed, said Rodyniuk, who took over as CEO last month.
“Our expectation is the excellence established at the airline by the founders is exactly what we’re going to go back to,” said Rodyniuk, who came to the Saskatoon-based airline group from his previous role as head of Ontario’s Wasaya Airways.
“This is exactly what (the board) asked us to do: Fix the operations, ensure that the core of our business is solid. So I’ve got a three-step plan basically: Solidify the base, fortify the base and then we’re going to expand.”
West Wind’s fleet of regional airliners spent almost half of last year on the ground after the company’s air operator certificate was suspended following a fatal crash near the Fond du Lac airport late last year. The certificate was reinstated in May.
Rodyniuk said one of the first things he did after taking over as the airline’s chief executive officer was to meet with victims of the crash for “heart-wrenching” conversations.
“It’s awful; it’s absolutely awful. That alone gives us the motivation to ensure that we are the safest airline that we possibly can be. This airline is radically different from what it was just a month ago, and compared to a year ago it’s a very different environment,” he said.
Attempts to reach Fern’s parents were unsuccessful but Sabrina Fern, whose now-17-year-old son Lyman was aboard the plane, said she was impressed by Rodyniuk’s commitment to the community where air travel is a necessity rather than a luxury.
Rodyniuk, she said, has been more supportive than previous West Wind executives, and was quick to share his personal contact information with survivors and their families at a dinner this fall. She recalled him saying, “I’m a call away, whatever you guys need.”
“That’s that attitude that we need from people like him, who we depend on for our flights in and out of our community,” she said.
Now, the Calgary-born airline executive is overseeing the early stages of an expansion that he hopes will see the 35-year-old airline become a viable and visible alternative for business commuters, reaching destinations in Alberta, Manitoba and the U.S.
This week, the company began flying its 19-seat Beechcraft 1900Ds three times daily, five days a week between Saskatoon and Regina. Previously, the airline flew the route twice a day, three times week. The demand “seems to be there,” Rodyniuk said.
“We’ve got seven Beech 1900s, and our fleet right now is under-utilized,” he said, referring to excess capacity stemming from a slowdown in charter flights to uranium facilities in the province’s far north, three of which have been temporarily closed in recent years.
“What I want to do is put the fleet to work and start new initiatives, not just between Regina and Saskatoon,” he said, adding that West Wind could in the coming years fly to points “north, south, east and west” of Saskatchewan.
West Wind currently flies only in Saskatchewan, to communities such as Prince Albert, La Ronge, Fond du Lac and Uranium City.
The airline is also looking at purchasing, through its subsidiary Transwest Air, additional Saab 340s, which Rodyniuk said can be converted to carry extra cargo in addition to passengers, to meet growing demand for fresh food deliveries in remote communities.
While there are challenges — chief among them “unmanageable” items such as volatile fuel prices and the pilot retention difficulties facing all regional carriers — Rodyniuk said he is optimistic about the business’s newly filed flight plan.
“We’ll be looking for those opportunities and putting the aircraft, the assets, right where we need them to get the greatest return.”
Showcases Saskatchewan and Canadian design and artworks by local artists
The airline’s 17th Maple Leaf Lounge in Canada and the 23rd across Air Canada’s international network
SASKATOON, Sept. 14, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today unveiled its newest Maple Leaf Lounge at Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (Skyxe). The lounge seats up to 40 customers in an elegant space that showcases Canadian design and art, including work by two Saskatchewan artists, Shawn Evans and Holly Friesen.
Enter a captionAir Canada Unveils New Maple Leaf Lounge at Saskatoons John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (CNW Group/Air Canada)
“We are excited to welcome Air Canada and Star Alliance eligible customers to our new Maple Leaf Lounge at Skyxe, which has been created to enhance the overall travel experience for our premium customers,” said Andrew Yiu, Vice President, Product at Air Canada. “Showcasing contemporary Canadian design and artwork, and drawing on the pastoral landscape of Saskatchewan, the lounge is decorated with maple wood screen walls, Canadian-made furnishings and Canadian materials. Customers will be warmly received and enjoy a calm environment in which to work or relax before an Air Canada or Air Canada Express flight.”
“Skyxe is thrilled to welcome a new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Saskatoon Airport,” said Stephen Maybury, President and CEO of Skyxe Saskatoon Airport. “This highly anticipated new lounge experience strongly complements our existing modern, comfortable and guest centric service offerings.”
“The award winning Skyxe continues to modernize and welcome the world to our city. The trusted brand of the Maple Leaf Lounge is a fantastic addition to what we offer here in our growing prairie community. Thank you to Air Canada for your commitment to Saskatoon,” said Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark.
“As one of Canada’s fastest growing metropolitan centers, the opening of an Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge in Saskatoon speaks to the continued interest to invest in our city and confirms Saskatoon as a top destination in Canada,” said Darla Lindbjerg, CEO of the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce.
“With a sharp increase in arrivals into Saskatoon and strong projections for National and International travel, having a Maple Leaf Lounge at our award-winning John G. Diefenbaker International Airport is very exciting. Being able to offer visitors who are eligible customers an added amenity, will only add to their positive experience in Saskatoon,” said Todd Brandt, President and CEO of Tourism Saskatoon.
The 137-square-metre lounge features such amenities as a full-service bar offering a wide selection of beverages, including Canadian wines and specialty coffees, a self-serve buffet area and comfortable seating with a view of the tarmac. Business travellers planning to work on site may also take advantage of the cyber counter equipped with PCs and colour printing, complimentary Wi-Fi and access to a large variety of digital newspaper and magazine content via the PressReader app.
The Skyxe Maple Leaf Lounge will operate seven days a week, and is conveniently located in the departure gate area, steps away from Air Canada’s departure gates.
Air Canada and its regional partners operate over 110 weekly (17 daily) non-stop scheduled flights this summer from Saskatoon to seven destinations across Canada. It offers up to 1,320 seats departing the city, with up to six daily non-stop flights to Toronto, four to Calgary, three to Vancouver, two to Winnipeg, one to Edmonton, one to Regina and one from Ottawa.
As a leading global carrier, Air Canada offers eligible customers access to 23 Maple Leaf Lounges worldwide including 17 at Canadian airports, plus lounges at New York-LaGuardia, New York-Newark, Los Angeles, London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris. More information about Air Canada’s award-winning Maple Leaf Lounges, including eligibility, is here.
