Airlines
Air Canada increases flights in Western Canada
Air Canada is boosting its capacity on regional routes across Western Canada this fall and winter to meet demand. The airline will also be gradually introducing new state-of-the-art Bombardier Q-400 Next Gen aircraft operated by Air Canada Jazz under the Air Canada Express brand on key markets from Calgary and Edmonton beginning next year. "Air Canada is increasing capacity this fall and winter on key regional routes reflecting strong demand within Western Canada, the centre of the country's energy and resource industries,"said Marcel Forget, Air Canada's vice-president, Network Planning....
ASTA, BTC challenge IATA claim of transparency
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and Business Travel Coalition (BTC) are disputing claims by Tony Tyler, CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that the development of the "New Distribution Capability"(NDC) was being conducted in open and transparent collaboration with all segments of the travel industry that would be affected by it. Nothing, says ASTA and BTC officials, could be further from the truth. "ASTA sees nothing in the IATA process to create NDC that resembles full and open transparent collaboration with the travel agency community,"said Nina Meyer,...
Bahamas opens new international terminal
A new international terminal has opened at the largest airport in The Bahamas as part of a $409 million project. The 226,000-square-foot terminal at Nassau's Lynden Pindling International Airport opened Oct. 16. A new US departures terminal opened in March 2011, while a new domestic and international departures terminal and a domestic arrivals terminal is scheduled to open in late 2013. The additions will allow the airport to handle five million passengers a year, up from three million. The airport will also be able to accommodate 12 US aircraft, compared to the current five, and have six new...
Aeromexico signs full content agreement with Travelport
Travelport and Aeromexico have launched a new global full content agreement. The new multi-year deal secures full access to all of Aeromexico's published fares and seat inventory - including fares available on its web site, and through its reservation offices and third parties - for all Travelport-connected travel agents and subscribers globally, including all offline travel agencies and online agencies booking through Travelport. The new agreement also includes a common framework to provide enhanced Aeromexico functionality to Travelport's agents, such as the addition of merchandising...
BAR Canada applauds CATSA appointments
The Board of Airline Representatives in Canada (BAR Canada) applauded the appointment of Lloyd McCoomb as the new chairman of board of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and the appointment of Peter Wallis to the CATSA board of directors. "McCoomb, formerly president and chief executive officer of the Greater Toronto Airports authority, and Wallis, formerly chairman of the Calgary Airport Authority, collectively bring years of airport and airline to their new positions. CATSA has an enormous security job, and these new appointments bring an added dimension to an increasing...
Creating greater value in the air
IATA is calling on aviation stakeholders to work together to create greater value for customers across the travel experience while enabling greater efficiency for industry participants. Tony Tyler, IATA's director general and CEO, told the World Passenger Symposium in Abu Dhabi, UAE, that: "Airlines expect to carry some 3 billion passengers in 2013. And that number will double by 2030. Connectivity is a critical component of modern economies. Serving that growing demand will require innovation. We need to understand what consumers expect and what they value enough to pay for. Aviation is team...
TAKE A BOW: It’s WestJet Encore
WestJet has announced that its new regional airline will be called WestJet Encore following a vote by WestJetters. The regional airline will launch in the second half of 2013, using Bombardier Q400 aircraft to serve smaller Canadian communities. Bob Cummings, WestJet's executive vice-president, sales, marketing and guest experience, said that not only will WestJet Encore leverage "the phenomenal strength of the WestJet brand," it also "reinforces that our WestJetters are ready to repeat the success of WestJet, liberating Canadians in many communities from the high cost of travel." WestJet...
BACK ON TOP: SES a priority for IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reacted positively to statements made today by Siim Kallas, vice-president of the European Commission, asserting that delivering a fully functioning Single European Sky (SES) is Europe's top aviation priority. "IATA fully supports vice-president Kallas in his efforts to put the long-delayed SES project back on track. It is the top priority in rebuilding the competitiveness of the European aviation sector. Cost efficient connectivity is critical to every modern economy. The failure of European member states to deliver on the SES places a EUR 5...