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  • COVID-infected flights fall sharply across Canada

    From Toronto Sun – link to source story

    Bryan Passifiume  •  Nov 23, 2020

    Pearson International airport was practically vacant at Terminal 1 except for a few international flyers on Thursday April 2, 2020. Jack Boland/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
    Toronto Pearson International Airport on April 2, 2020. PHOTO BY JACK BOLAND /Toronto Sun

    Only five international and six domestic flights with passengers infected with COVID-19 landed at Canadian airports last week.

    That’s compared to 44 international and 60 domestic flights recorded the week previous, according to publicly available data from Health Canada.

    Five of the six domestic flights occurred on Nov. 16 — Swoop 406 between Toronto and Abbotsford, PAL Airlines 1902 between Quebec City and Sept-Iles, Jazz 8280 between Vancouver and Prince Rupert, Air Canada 341 between Ottawa and Vancouver, and Air Canada 209 between Calgary and Vancouver.

    The sixth flight was Air Canada 428 from Toronto to Montreal on Nov. 17.

    Internationally, only two infected flights originated from the United States,  both from Chicago — United 4552 to Toronto on Nov. 16 and Air Canada 7596 to Montreal on Nov. 17

    Other international flights include Air Canada 989 from Cancun to Montreal and Rouge 1994 from Mexico City to Toronto — both on Nov. 17 — and Turkish Airlines 17 from Istanbul to Toronto on Nov. 18, the only non-North American flight to carry COVID-positive passengers.

    Calgary, home to the federal government’s pilot program testing international arrivals for COVID-19, recorded no infected passengers over the past week, down from two the week previous.

    Turkish Airlines has carried the most COVID-19 infected passengers of any international carrier over the past two weeks — seven to Toronto and one to Montreal.

    Health Canada only posts data online from the past two weeks, and does not list how many passengers on board tested positive, only — when available — listing ranges of row numbers of where the person may have sat.

    Data on infections comes from a variety of sources, states Health Canada, including contact tracing and information from local public health authorities.

    Thirty-six infected domestic and international flights landed in Toronto since Nov. 8, the highest in Canada, while 24 landed at Vancouver, 19 at Montreal and six at Calgary.

    Since March, only four Canadian airports — Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver — are permitted to accept international flights, with some exceptions.

  • WestJet Update: 10 May • Schedule to 4 July 2020

    From Westjet – 10 May 2020

    WESTJET UPDATES SCHEDULE FROM JUNE 5 THROUGH JULY 4, 2020 

    WestJet has updated its schedule from June 5 through to July 4, 2020 to address significantly reduced guest demand for air travel while continuing to keep critical economic lifelines open for essential travel and cargo. At this time, WestJet is also extending its temporary transborder and international route suspensions through June 25, 2020. Guests with travel booked after June 5 through July 4, will be proactively notified of their options. Full schedule details are available on westjet.com. 

    It is through the hard work and dedication of teams across WestJet that we continue to provide safe, on-time air travel throughout Canada. We thank all WestJetters and our airport partners for their support during this time. For information on WestJet’s COVID-19 response including health, safety and cleaning protocols, visit the WestJet COVID-19 site here. 

    Domestic route suspensions from June 5 through July 4, 2020 

    Market Previous frequency 
    Vancouver – Nanaimo 2x daily 
    Vancouver – Comox 1x daily 
    Vancouver – Regina 4x weekly 
    Vancouver – Saskatoon 1x daily 
    Vancouver – Winnipeg 3x daily 
    Vancouver – Fort St. John 1x daily 
    Vancouver – Cranbrook 1x daily 
    Vancouver – Ottawa 2x daily 
    Vancouver – Montreal 6 to 13x weekly 
    Vancouver – Halifax 6x weekly 
    Kelowna – Victoria 12x weekly 
    Calgary – Prince George 1x daily 
    Calgary – Ottawa 2x daily 
    Calgary – Montreal 2x daily 
    Calgary – London, ON 1 to 2x daily 
    Calgary – Halifax 3x daily 
    Calgary – St. John’s 1x daily 
    Edmonton – Comox 8x weekly 
    Edmonton – Victoria 20x weekly 
    Edmonton – Kelowna 7x daily 
    Edmonton – Grande Prairie 13x weekly 
    Edmonton – Yellowknife 1x daily 
    Edmonton – Saskatoon 3x daily 
    Edmonton – Regina 3x daily 
    Edmonton – Winnipeg 20x weekly 
    Edmonton – Ottawa 4x weekly 
    Edmonton – Montreal 3x weekly 
    Edmonton – Halifax 10x weekly 
    Edmonton – St. John’s 4x weekly 
    Winnipeg – Ottawa 1x daily 
    Winnipeg – Regina 1x daily 
    Winnipeg – Halifax 1x daily 
    Toronto – Victoria 4x weekly 
    Toronto – Regina 10x weekly 
    Toronto – Saskatoon 12x weekly 
    Halifax – Montreal 2x daily 

    The following domestic markets will have a new seasonal start date: 

    Market New start date 
    Calgary – Quebec City 6-Jul-20 
    Calgary – Charlottetown 5-Jul-20 
    Winnipeg – Montreal 5-Jul-20 
    Toronto – Kelowna 5-Jul-20 
    Toronto – Sydney, NS 5-Jul-20 

    WESTJET CARGO DELIVERS FLOWERS FOR MOTHER’S DAY

    While we may be physically distancing, we know moms will still be feeling the love today. Over the last three weeks, WestJet Cargo has helped deliver 15 tonnes of flowers across Canada — just in time for Mother’s Day.

  • Flair Airlines Marks Record-Setting Year

    Provided by Flair Airlines/Globe Newswire

    Edmonton, AB, Jan. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canada’s only independent low-fare airline, Flair Airlines marked its first full year of scheduled operations with considerable growth.

    Over the course of the year, the airline:

    • Added 114 more flights per week
    • Doubled its fleet from five to ten aircraft
    • Safely carried almost a million passengers
    • Flew coast-to-coast from ten Canadian cities over the summer
    • Added six US destinations to its winter schedule

    “The past year has been one of steady growth for us,” said Jim Scott, President & CEO, Flair Airlines. “We more than doubled the number of flights per week we fly, ensuring travellers have access to affordable air travel to our 13 destinations across North America.”

    Laying the Foundation for Success

    To accommodate its transition from charter to scheduled carrier, Flair moved its headquarters to Edmonton, AB, proudly becoming Edmonton’s hometown airline. The partnership with Edmonton International Airport and relocation to Alberta’s capital ensure the airline has the tools to support the company’s ambitious growth strategy. Since the relocation, the airline recruited more than 100 employees, more than doubling its headcount.

    The company’s growth plan was on display as it launched transborder operations in November, with its Edmonton to Las Vegas service. The addition of new destinations and routes continued in December with Palm Springs, Phoenix-Mesa, Orlando, Miami and St. Pete-Clearwater joining the airline’s route map.

    “When we started the year, we were a domestic airline focused on giving Canadians a long-waited affordable travel option,” added Scott. “Our growth into an international carrier has been met with tremendous support. Canadians can now travel to US sun destinations with their loved ones, something they might not have been able to afford a year ago.”

    Looking Forward

    In December, Flair Airlines welcomed its future: the Boeing 737-800NG. The new generation aircraft will  carry more passengers, lower fuel costs and fly longer distances.

    “The 737-800NG is Flair’s flight path to the future,” said Scott. “Lower fuel costs ensure we can keep our fares down and the longer range means we can fly more passengers non-stop to more distant destinations.”

    The airline expects to add more flights, destinations, routes and aircraft to its roster throughout 2019, and plans to increase its employee base to support the growth.

  • Air Canada Announces Longlist for Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2018

    Top 10 to be revealed in November issue of Air Canada enRoute Magazine

    TORONTO, Aug. 9, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada is proud to present the 30 nominees for Canada’s Best New Restaurants presented by American Express. The highly anticipated longlist, drawn from a coast-to-coast culinary exploration, is out today on CanadasBestNewRestaurants.com.

    From an Italian-inflected seafood menu in a beachy Halifax room to the wildly creative charcuterie cabinet of a French bistro in Victoria, this year’s finalists celebrate the delectable diversity of Canadian cuisine. Based on the recommendations from a panel of food experts, Air Canada sends one writer on an anonymous, month-long, cross-country dining marathon to determine the most notable new openings that become contenders for the coveted annual Top 10 list.

    “For over 15 years, Air Canada has been committed to discovering the latest Canadian culinary innovations and dining destinations, and celebrating the central role they play in our customers’ travel experience,” says Andy Shibata, Managing Director, Brand, Air Canada. “This year, we want to celebrate diversity in Canada’s culinary culture and highlight chefs and restaurateurs with global backgrounds. Their achievements will be honoured and featured online and in Air Canada’s enRoute onboard magazine.”

    “Our Cardmembers are passionate about food and look to us to point them towards the country’s best restaurants and chefs,” says David Barnes, VP of Advertising and Communications, American Express Canada. “That’s why it’s a natural fit for us to pair with Air Canada and sponsor Canada’s Best New Restaurants for the fourth year running. We’re so excited about the contenders on this list this year.”

    The 2018 nominees for Canada’s Best New Restaurants are:

    1909 Kitchen, Tofino, BC; Aloette, Toronto; Atlas, Toronto; Avenue Restaurant, Regina; Bar Kismet, Halifax; Biera, Edmonton; Bistro Rosie, Montréal; Bread and Circus, Calgary; Bündok, Edmonton; La Cabane d’à Côté, Mirabel, QC; The Courtney Room, Victoria; Cruz Tacos, Calgary; Donna Mac, Calgary; Elena, Montréal; Giulietta, Toronto; Hopkins, Montréal; Il Covo, Toronto; Kanto 98th St., Edmonton; Kiin, Toronto; Kūkŭm Kitchen, Toronto; Vin Mon Lapin, Montréal; Omai, Toronto; Oxbow, Winnipeg; Passero, Winnipeg; The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette, Jordan Station, ON; Sand and Pearl, Picton, ON; Seedlings, Bloomfield, ON; Skippa, Toronto; St. Lawrence, Vancouver; Tanto, Toronto.

    Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2018 highlights the top restaurants that have launched across the country over the last 12 months and deliver memorable experiences through the quality of their food, level of service and original contribution to the Canadian dining landscape.

    The annual Top 10 ranking will be unveiled at a celebration in Toronto on October 25, 2018. Tickets for this event go on sale August 24, 2018, giving diners an opportunity to sample Canada’s Best New Restaurants all in one place. The winners will also be showcased on CanadasBestNewRestaurants.com and in the November issue of Air Canada enRoute magazine.

  • Flair Airlines Claims a New Hometown

    Flair AirlinesFlair, Canada’s low-fare airline, today announced that after extensive analysis, it will build on the success of Edmonton International Airport as its Main Transfer Hub and officially establish itself as Edmonton’s Hometown Airline. Flair will continue to expand its network to/from Edmonton by growing its frequency and network – both domestic and trans-border; announcing new low-fare routes in the coming weeks. Flair will also progressively relocate its operations and executive base in Edmonton.

    Flair’s Executive Chairman, David Tait, commented, “Just last week Flair doubled its frequency out of Edmonton and, as one of the fastest growing cities in the country, the community and the airport are uniquely positioned to support our ongoing growth: Already, of Flair’s almost 200 flights per week, 65% of them fly to/from Edmonton. We are also looking forward to tapping into Edmonton’s professional talent pool, as we progressively establish our headquarters here over the coming months.”

    “We congratulate Flair Airlines on its success,” said Tom Ruth, President and CEO of Edmonton International Airport. “Over the past year of operation, not only has Flair introduced new destinations and increased route frequencies, it has successfully expanded Edmonton into its main transfer hub for Canada. This reflects Flair’s strong confidence in the Edmonton Metro Region, and has proven this market’s support for Flair’s growing list of non-stops and ULCC value.”

    Cities from which Flair operates benefit with dramatically lower airfares as a direct consequence of the carrier’s market presence. Airports also report an increase in first-time travellers.