Canadian airports ought to be named after pilots or other historical and significant aviation-related personalities/entities.

(Instead of politicians - whom most didn't know a damn thing nor gave a shit about aviation.)

Completely agree. "X International" is a non-name.

I'd like to see us use Cabot, perhaps. Even the year, 1497, would be nice. But if they tries for Smallwood, I'm torching it.

I'm actually on board with Craig Dobbin International Airport as a re-name of St. John's International. Pretty big guy in aviation from the island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Dobbin

Dobbin is a prestigious surname too, so it'd work even for people who've no idea who he is.

Air Canada rouge to launch Hamilton-Calgary service

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/53...ampaign=buffer

A new passenger service will take off from Hamilton airport in June.

Air Canada rouge, the national carrier's discount service, will introduce a new daily return flight to Calgary at the end of June.

In a news release, the company said it was locating the new service in Hamilton because John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport gives it the location it needs for a discount service.

"Located in the heart of the populous Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario, Hamilton is a convenient departure and arrival point for tourists and visiting friends and relatives. This makes it a market ideally suited for Air Canada rouge with its competitive cost structure," Benjamin Smith, president of passenger airlines for Air Canada said in a news release.

Maybe this is why Air Canada is coming back to YHM...

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/540/bYNRW0.png

Jetlines plans to launch an airline in Canada that applies Ultra-Low Cost Carrier operating principles with a focus on stimulating passenger demand through low cost airfares, and generating revenue from the sale of ancillary products and services onboard its aircraft. Jetlines intends to select routes which avoid direct competition with existing carriers in Canada and focus on cost discipline in order to keep operating costs low.

From its YVR-based head office, Jetlines intends to commence domestic scheduled air service in 2015.

Jetlines is led by an accomplished and experience management team with both Canadian and international experience who understand the airline industry and is supported by an accomplished and experienced board of directors.

Jetlines plans to offer base airfares below the base airfares of major existing carriers in Canada.

Jetlines plans to, where possible, use non-major airports in Canada to attract new passengers.

On December 11th, 2014, Jetlines signed a definitive purchase agreement with The Boeing Company to acquire up to twenty-one (21) Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for delivery commencing in 2021. The Agreement includes five (5) firm orders, purchase rights for an additional sixteen (16) 737 MAX and some conversion rights to the 737-8 MAX aircraft.

http://www.jetlines.ca/

Yeah no. Jetlines is a mess and they haven't even started flying, their original financing plan with another company fell apart and that company is now suing Jetlines for something like $500,000.

My gut tells me they never get off the ground.

YVR is a nicest airport I've ever used. That's not saying much, of course, but it does stand out internationally.

Calgary airport passenger volumes hit new record

The Calgary International Airport is reporting another year of record-breaking passenger volumes for 2014, but a spokesperson acknowledged the rate of growth could slow in 2015 if Alberta’s economy takes a tumble.

More than 15.6 million passengers passed through YYC in 2014, an increase of 6.6 per cent over 2013 and a figure that allows Calgary to retain its title as the third busiest airport in Canada. Calgary hit that milestone in 2013, when it surpassed Montreal’s Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport for the first time.

Calgary Airport Authority spokeswoman Jody Moseley said 2014 was another “great year” for YYC, one that saw a number of milestones including the opening of the facility’s new 14,000 foot runway in June. Several airlines — including Air Canada, WestJet, and KLM — announced new routes and capacity increases at the airport, while British Airways introduced its first Dreamliner in Western Canada at YYC and Air Canada Rouge launched operations out of Calgary for the first time.

Construction also continued on the airport’s new international terminal, the single largest expansion project the Calgary Airport Authority has ever undertaken. The $1.4 billion construction project is expected to be complete by the end of 2015.

Growth at the Calgary International Airport has historically been fuelled by the strength of the Alberta economy. In fact, year-over-year passenger volumes at the airport have increased in nine of the last 10 years — with the exception of 2009, when the global economic downturn coincided with a dip in passenger traffic. That year, passenger volumes at YYC fell to 12.2 million from 12.5 million the year before.

Moseley said it’s possible the airport could see a dip again in 2015 if the price of crude remains low and the Alberta economy suffers. But she said the airport authority knows it must continue laying the groundwork for growth and development, because it doesn’t expect any long-term downward trend in passenger volumes.

“Are we concerned and watching? Absolutely, we always keep an eye out,” Moseley said. “But I think we have a good business model that allows us to weather any of the economic changes we go through in Calgary … Because we’ve seen this before.”

http://calgaryherald.com/business/lo...hit-new-record

Phase II of the expansion of Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport (doubling the size of the terminal) is slowly revealing itself. There are still more shops and dining options to open behind some of those temporary walls:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...ad308d480b7d92

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...2a&oe=555BF5D4

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...8e&oe=555D3D0D

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...48&oe=5560228F

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...b3&oe=55589ED5

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...52&oe=554ED5B8

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...be&oe=554D9D19

https://www.facebook.com/YXEairport#!/YXEairport

Good year for YYC once again. http://www.yyc.com/en-us/media/facts...tatistics.aspx

And nice Saskatoon expansion. How many gates the expanded terminal's got now?

Eight. (Before, there were six.)

^^

Thanks Skydive :) !

I'm stuck at gate B21 at YVR because my flights been delayed. To go from the beautiful international terminal we arrived in on our way from Los Canos to here...is interesting. What a blah part of the airport.

Oh... Isn't that the newest part that just opened up?

Looks like the only retro part left, to me.

This would be great for Hamilton. Its current destinations are lacking to say the least so an expansion of this size would be awesome for people who don't want to go all the way to Toronto for a flight. And maybe it would help prove that the Pickering Airport isn't necessary. What's the status on that by the way?

Also, very interesting that there's no service in Calgary at all here.

I'm not opposed to a big airport on the eastern fringes opening in Pickering, but for now the GTA+H should concentrate on developing Toronto Pearson/Toronto Island airport in the 'centre' and Hamilton Munro airport in the west. Land for a Pickering airport should remain set aside for when it's needed however.

GO Transit is significantly improving connections and frequency of rail service in this region. Ideally we need to get to a point where one can land at Munro and have a rail connection to downtown Hamilton or downtown Toronto. Eventually a rail connection between Munro and Pearson would complete the puzzle but traffic at Munro would have to grow significantly before that happens.

I hope Jetlines is a success. Canada is one of the few OECD nations that doesn't have a good low cost carrier option like Easyjet. If Jetlines can prosper it would do wonders for passenger volumes, connectivity, and the economy. Cost effective and efficient transportation links are crucial for an economy to compete globally.

I took a few pictures of our airport last week. :) It's really small, but pretty.

So this is the Arrivals entrance:

http://i61.tinypic.com/5yra5j.jpg

And just inside those doors you have the main information centre:

http://i62.tinypic.com/2exscg0.jpg

The pre-security area has Arrivals on this end, Departures at the other, and a string of businesses in between. In the very middle are the stars/elevators/escalators you use to get up to the Security area on the second floor.

http://i60.tinypic.com/10prdht.jpg

I didn't have time to get up to the other end but we have a very small number of airline desks, as you can imagine. There are a few that probably don't exist in most other airports, however, such as Provincial Airlines and Air St-Pierre.

Once you're up and through security, then you're in an area that's kind of similar to the above photo but more stuffed with seating. There are a handful of businesses up there as well, the VIP lounge, kids' play areas, etc.

The airport is still covered in signs announcing its ongoing expansion. It'll be about twice its current size, but with the same style and decor - so I'm excited.

http://i58.tinypic.com/2a8l2zb.jpg

SOAR is absolutely everywhere. I suppose it's replaced En Route.

http://i57.tinypic.com/5jz1g2.jpg

And a typical Arrivals list for us. Mostly local and the Canadian hub cities, with some seasonal directs.

http://i60.tinypic.com/xmlw93.jpg

I would be extremely surprised if Jetlines ever gets off the ground. The reason Canada doesn't have an equivalent to Easyjet or Southwest is that all the past attempts ran into the ground and died (does anyone remember Jetsgo?). I don't see where this fanciful proposal would be any different.