Canadian Airport Thread II

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

YYC February 2024 Stats:

Domestic: 863,324 +9.5% [YTD: 1,718,360 +7.3%]
Transborder: 275,331 +21.7% [YTD: 541,224 +21.7%]
International: 194,832 +10.8% [YTD: 394,702 +7.8%]

February Total: 1,333,487 +12.0%
2024 YTD: 2,654,286 +9.84%

Given YYC has already broken its 2019 record, I don't see a point in comparing those numbers anymore.

ADM have published Jan and Feb 2024 numbers, and revised their 2023 total.

https://www.admtl.com/sites/default/...s_Fev24_EN.pdf

January 2024

Domestic: 434,174 +4.0%
Transborder: 375,239 +14.7%
International: 864,083 +16.1%

January Total: 1,673,496 +12.4%

February 2024

Domestic: 418,032 +3.1%
Transborder: 369,438 +20.1%
International: 783,168 +17.7%

February Total: 1,570,638 +13.9%

2024 YTD: 3,244,134 +13.1%

If they can maintain a 13% increase, YUL will finish the year with just shy of 24 million passengers.

They have also revised their 2023 total to 21,173,941, up almost 30,000 passengers from what they initially announced for 2023.

They seem to do a correction like this every year, although often resulting in a minor difference. This time, it's quite significant.

Edit: I'll also add that with the recent addition of Avianca El Salvador to YUL's roster, the number of foreign carriers at the airport this summer will be 26. Not that long ago, that number was only in the high teens. Considering how dominant AC has become at YUL on the international scene, I'd say managing to attract 26 foreign carriers is impressive. Unfortunately, all of this means YUL will be an even bigger shit show this summer. ADM has some mitigating procedures in place for landside access and passenger drop-off this summer, but I don't think it will cut it. Until the REM is operational, the situation will only get worse before it gets better.

[sailor734]

Flair's online booking still down as of Sunday evening....strange but no posts regarding them having technical issues on either their Twitter or Facebook pages.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Flair's online booking still down as of Sunday evening....strange but no posts regarding them having technical issues on either their Twitter or Facebook pages.

And nothing in the media, that I have seen.

Edit: I see the Mop & Pail put up a report about an hour ago.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

And nothing in the media, that I have seen.

Edit: I see the Mop & Pail put up a report about an hour ago.

And???

(For those of us without a subscription)

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

And???

(For those of us without a subscription)

Flair Airlines’ flight-booking functions on its website were down over the weekend, preventing would-be travellers from buying seats.

Flair said in an e-mail on Sunday night it worked overnight Saturday on a solution, and hoped the website would be working again “within the next few hours.” Flair did not address questions about the cause.

The site remained down into Sunday evening.

The problem, which apparently took hold on Saturday, appeared to affect the seat purchase function on the website. Destinations and prices were displayed as usual, but the booking and payment functions failed.

“We are currently experiencing a service interruption,” a message read. “Please check back soon.”

Flair’s travails have made news recently.

In January, The Globe and Mail reported the airline owes $67-million in tax repayment for imported aircraft. Flair said it has a repayment agreement with the federal government and is following the schedule.

Financial services company Peoples Trust, meanwhile, recently withheld $25-million from Flair, the airline said. Peoples, a payment processor, declined to address questions about the money. Speaking generally, Peoples said in a statement it boosts the size of a payment reserve fund according to the risks posed by a merchant.

“Should a flight be cancelled and not rebooked by an airline and the airline cannot refund the money, cardholders are entitled to request a refund, or chargeback, from their card-issuing bank,” Peoples said the statement.

“When a chargeback is received, the airline’s payment acquirer [Peoples or another processor] must refund the purchase from a reserve account,” Peoples said.

Flair said Peoples acted improperly and promised unspecified legal action.

Flair is Canada’s lone discount airline after the failure of Lynx Air in February. Lynx was granted court protection from creditors, and its leased fleet will be auctioned off. Flair’s fleet was reduced by four last year, when the Boeing 737 Max aircraft were seized for non-payment of rent.

The Globe reported on Friday that Flair reduced its spring schedule by about 600 flights. Flair spokeswoman Gabrielle Poirier said the reductions were made months before Lynx shut down, and are unrelated to its financial position.

“We acknowledge we have faced financial challenges, but these are not impacting operations, now or in the future,” she said in an e-mail on Friday. “We are actively managing our finances and fulfilling our obligations, guided by principles of compliance, stability and transparency.”

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

And???

(For those of us without a subscription)

Tut tut, every Canadian who wants to be well-informed should have a subscription to the Globe & Mail.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Tut tut, every Canadian who wants to be well-informed should have a subscription to the Globe & Mail.

Certainly worth the $8.99 a month.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Certainly worth the $8.99 a month.

Well, I subscribe to the Times & Transcript online. Since the Post Media takeover (and the resultant carnage), I think there may be at most two reporters in Moncton working virtually from home. Local content is virtually nil. Local news coverage in Moncton is infinitely superior on Facebook (and on SSP) than in the vestiges of the print media. The T&T isn't worth the electrons used to transmit the data.

Still, it could be worse. With the bankruptcy proceeding for Saltwire Media underway, there will soon be no print media in NS, PEI or NL at all! At least NB can claim to have local newspapers.

[Dominion301]

Well Bay St. will be awakening from their weekend slumber in 1/2 hr. Let’s see if Flair can secure a new processor or if it’s just about lights out for them. I’ll be shocked if they make it through this and survive beyond next weekend. They’ve already long since used up their 9 lives.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Dominion301

Well Bay St. will be awakening from their weekend slumber in 1/2 hr. Let’s see if Flair can secure a new processor or if it’s just about lights out for them. I’ll be shocked if they make it through this and survive beyond next weekend. They’ve already long since used up their 9 lives.

Yes, if they were already shaky how can they survive without money coming in?

[sailor734]

Website still down as of 5 minutes ago. I wonder of they are having issues with their payment processer? I know they had a dispute over them withholding 25 million from Flair that came to light a couple of weeks ago. (Worried about chargebacks if Flair goes under I assume)

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Website still down as of 5 minutes ago. I wonder of they are having issues with their payment processer? I know they had a dispute over them withholding 25 million from Flair that came to light a couple of weeks ago. (Worried about chargebacks if Flair goes under I assume)

It's little things like this which will pull Flair under. I think Flair is finished. They have nowhere to turn (save a white knight). Maybe it would be best for someone to get a pistol out and put it out of it's misery.

One good think about a Flair insolvency is that there would suddenly be a couple of hundred pilots that AC, WestJet and Porter could pick up and restabilize their workforces.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by sailor734

Website still down as of 5 minutes ago. I wonder of they are having issues with their payment processer? I know they had a dispute over them withholding 25 million from Flair that came to light a couple of weeks ago. (Worried about chargebacks if Flair goes under I assume)

The worrying bit is that the airline has never really been overcapitalized on the best of days, nor have their owners exactly showered themselves in financial credibility.

Now one has essentially removed the inflow of cash for future bookings while planes still fly and expenses are paid or put on credit.

Three days of no income. One would think management would be hugely interested in re-opening the money spigot, because once creditors don't believe they're eventually getting paid, they ask for cash.

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by thewave46

The worrying bit is that the airline has never really been overcapitalized on the best of days, nor have their owners exactly showered themselves in financial credibility.

Now one has essentially removed the inflow of cash for future bookings while planes still fly and expenses are paid or put on credit.

Three days of no income. One would think management would be hugely interested in re-opening the money spigot, because once creditors don't believe they're eventually getting paid, they ask for cash.

If this goes on another day or two I wouldn't be surprised to read of a Flair flight stranded somewhere because a local fuel supplier has put them on COD.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by sailor734

If this goes on another day or two I wouldn't be surprised to read of a Flair flight stranded somewhere because a local fuel supplier has put them on COD.

The big challenge may be when they have to make payroll next.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by thewave46

The big challenge may be when they have to make payroll next.

Guess I'm never seeing the thousands of dollars I'm owed in compensation for delayed flights? Can I get in line as a creditor in a bankruptcy?

[LO 044]

Many interesting comments but this one is the most interesting from the A.net

"Word on the street is that their credit card processor cut off all processing last Friday mid day and that switching to a new processor is very difficult to do on a short timeline. These integrations some times take months. Thats assuming they find a processor willing to take them on which is also far from certain. The processing business is a small industry and the chatter is very loud. This is not a run of the mill technology issue with their website. My prediction is that they are done by this Thursday latest, next payroll day. Wait until all media starts reporting, the walls will close in very quickly."

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by LO 044

Many interesting comments but this one is the most interesting from the A.net

"Word on the street is that their credit card processor cut off all processing last Friday mid day and that switching to a new processor is very difficult to do on a short timeline. These integrations some times take months. Thats assuming they find a processor willing to take them on which is also far from certain. The processing business is a small industry and the chatter is very loud. This is not a run of the mill technology issue with their website. My prediction is that they are done by this Thursday latest, next payroll day. Wait until all media starts reporting, the walls will close in very quickly."

Already brief articles on the Financial Post and the Edmonton Journal websites....both refer to the airlines financial troubles and end with the words "more to come"

[JakeLRS]

Originally Posted by LO 044

Many interesting comments but this one is the most interesting from the A.net

"Word on the street is that their credit card processor cut off all processing last Friday mid day and that switching to a new processor is very difficult to do on a short timeline. These integrations some times take months. Thats assuming they find a processor willing to take them on which is also far from certain. The processing business is a small industry and the chatter is very loud. This is not a run of the mill technology issue with their website. My prediction is that they are done by this Thursday latest, next payroll day. Wait until all media starts reporting, the walls will close in very quickly."

I really don’t know how flair is getting out of this one… it was a miracle they got out of their aircraft repossession last year.

If I’m a service in debt to flair, I’d start asking for cash up front, which I’d imagine is what’s being done as we speak…

[sailor734]

Originally Posted by JakeLRS

I really don’t know how flair is getting out of this one… it was a miracle they got out of their aircraft repossession last year.

If I’m a service in debt to flair, I’d start asking for cash up front, which I’d imagine is what’s being done as we speak…

Hard to fly without fuel.