Canadian discounter WestJet has axed seasonal St John’s-Dublin flights and cut several intra-Canada routes, changes that come as the carrier continues overhauling its network.
WestJet says the decision to eliminate the St John’s-Dublin route, which was its first transatlantic route, “was not taken lightly”.
“The route was not performing to expectation and as a result, the choice was made to discontinue the service,” the airline tells FlightGlobal.
While cutting the St John’s flight, WestJet next year will launch flights to Dublin from Halifax, another city in eastern Canada. WestJet will fly that route daily between late April and late October, it says.
WestJet kicked off its transatlantic expansion in June 2014 when it launched the seasonal St John’s-Dublin flights using Boeing 737s. WestJet operated the route daily, ending the service in October 2018. The route will not return to WestJet‘s network in 2019.
Executives initially had described the St John’s-Dublin route as an experiment — a test of the European market prior to further transatlantic expansion. In the years since 2014, WestJet acquired 767s, which it deployed to Europe, and placed orders for 10 787s, which it also intends to send across the Atlantic Ocean.
WestJet has made other schedule cuts in recent months, according to FlightGlobal schedules data.
In recent months the airline ended service on the Halifax-Deer Lake, Toronto-Fort McMurray, Montreal-Quebec City, Calgary-Quebec City and Toronto-Sudbury routes, data shows.
WestJet did not immediately respond to requests for comment about those additional route cuts, but executives in recent months said the airline would trim unprofitable flying and increasingly operate flights to and from its major hubs of Calgary and Toronto.
Only lounge available at YYT and 3rd Maple Leaf Lounge unveiled this year, offering premium travellers more comfort
Just steps from Air Canada’s gates in the recently expanded departures area of the terminal building
Air Canada is the only carrier operating year-round international flights to London-Heathrow from St. John’s
MONTREAL, Dec. 19, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today unveiled its newest Maple Leaf Lounge located in St. John’s International Airport’s (YYT) recently expanded departures area of the terminal building. With a panoramic view of iconic Signal Hill and the ocean, the new Maple Leaf Lounge offers significantly more space, upgraded amenities, including a business centre, and a wider assortment of refreshments than the previous St. John’s airport lounge.
The new Maple Leaf Lounge in St John’s. (CNW Group/Air Canada)
“We are excited to welcome Air Canada and Star Alliance eligible customers to our new St. John’s Maple Leaf Lounge. This unique space has been created to enhance the overall travel experience of our premium customers,” said Andrew Yiu, Vice President, Product at Air Canada. “Showcasing contemporary design and artwork, the lounge features maple wood screen walls, Canadian-made furnishings and we are also proud to hosts local art and crafts that reflect the charm of Newfoundland and Labrador’s landscape and people. Customers will be warmly received and enjoy a calm environment in which to work or relax before their Air Canada flight.”
“Tourism and visitation depend on high quality experiences, and having this new Maple Leaf Lounge at the recently upgraded St. John’s International airport will help advance our goals to attract more visitors and build our province’s reputation as a first-class destination,” said Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. “I congratulate Air Canada for establishing this new lounge, and I thank them for their investment, and commitment to our province.”
“Congratulations to Air Canada and the Airport Authority on the addition of the new Maple Leaf Lounge, which will enhance the experience of locals and visitors to our province. Business tourism is an area of growth for our city and I look forward to working with all levels of government and businesses as we foster a positive environment for this industry,” commented the Mayor of St. John’s Danny Breen.
“We are delighted that Air Canada has made such a significant investment at our airport to enhance the experience for many of our passengers. This much-anticipated new Maple Leaf Lounge will offer additional amenities in a beautifully designed space, and will be very well-received by frequent travellers,” said Keith Collins, President and CEO, St. John’s International Airport.
The Maple Leaf Lounge is the only lounge available to travellers departing from YYT and has the capacity for up to 84 customers in an elegant space. With 77 per cent more space than the lounge it is replacing, the 46 additional seats provide visitors with a spacious and relaxing environment. Air Canada premium agents on site, are available to assist customers with travel requirements.
The space features a self-serve bar, offering a wide selection of beverages, including Canadian wines and Lavazza specialty coffees, a selection of light snacks, a business centre and comfortable seating with a view of the tarmac. Business travellers planning to work on site may also take advantage of a cyber counter equipped with PCs and colour printing, complimentary Wi-Fi and access to more than 7,000 digital newspaper and magazine content via the PressReader app.
As a leading global carrier, Air Canada offers eligible customers access to 23 Maple Leaf Lounges worldwide including 17 at Canadian airports. Customers travelling abroad may also enjoy 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 is here.
Air Canada, including its regional partners, operate over 180 weekly non-stop scheduled flights in the summer to seven destinations across Canadaand is the only carrier to operate an international flight to London-Heathrow from St. John’s. The service to London-Heathrow provides customers with seamless same-terminal connections throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa in close cooperation with Star Alliance partners. It offers up to nine daily non-stop flights to Toronto, five to Halifax, three to Gander, three to Montreal, three to Deer Lake, one to Ottawa and one to Goose Bay. In 2017, the airline served more than 860,000 customers at St. John’s International Airport.
Travel Industry Today – 27 SEP 2018: More than 200 exhausted passengers were left stranded and frustrated in St. John’s on Wednesday after a flight to Germany made an emergency stop. A representative from the St. John’s international airport confirmed that a Lufthansa flight arrived slightly after 2 a.m.
Passenger Bob Burgess of Halifax said the unplanned landing was related to a passenger’s death.
Lufthansa spokesman Tal Muscal confirmed that the aircraft landed in St. John’s for a medical emergency and said a passenger was taken to the hospital, but could not confirm whether a death occurred.
Burgess said the early landing meant that passengers were unable to leave the plane until after 6 a.m., and they soon discovered that hotels were booked for a convention.
Lufthansa does not operate out of the St. John’s airport, so there was no additional staff on the ground to facilitate accommodations _ and crew onboard had to break for a legally mandated ‘rest period’ before preparing the aircraft for departure Wednesday evening.
School buses were arranged for passengers to tour the city in the meantime, but Burgess said there was some frustration amongst the tired travellers left on their own to find food and accommodation.
