Your whole point was the EU "was taking too long". Based on whose standards yours? Maybe TS should have asked for a 2 year deadline on the original agreement.

I am certain WS has a communications team that can market it as "merger of equals".

It would be the best thing for WS. AC has sales people in markets as diverse as India, China and Spain. AC knows how to see into different cultures. WS can't figure out how to sell its services in Quebec. WS needs TS as much as TS needs WS.

If 'election soon' means 2022 or 2023, then okay, but an election in 2021 is highly improbable...and certainly not until late fall. Look to Newfoundland & Labrador as to what not to do these days. With a weak opposition (i.e., the 3 official party status opposition parties would all have to vote against the gov't on a confidence vote - unlikely given their opposing ideologies), the government can largely govern (and largely have been) as if they have a majority. They have no incentive to go to an election. The NDP has no incentive as they currently hold the balance of power whereas an election would probably result in a Liberal majority with the NDP losing all their sway. Also, I wouldn't say 'Uncle Trudeau to the rescue'; try 'Uncle Legault' who has already said if AC walks away, the Quebec government will come to the rescue. Legault was one of TS' founders. There's no way he'll let them fail on his watch: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/20...promet-legault

If WS were to put in an offer for TS, the gov't would have zero incentive to offer them a rescue package as it would mean they're perfectly solvent...which they currently are given WS' parent is still very profitable. On the flip side, there's no way WG can buy TS after just having accessed LEEFF. That pretty much leaves Mr. faux separatist PKP as a suitor for TS.

This is all predicated on AC even wanting to walk away. They know they're getting TS for a song and are almost at the finish line as it is.

Airlines and the gov't are reportedly close to an aid deal:

Canadian airlines, feds close to bailout deal: report
BY MIKE EPPEL AND THE CANADIAN PRESS
Posted Feb 16, 2021 7:14 am PST

OTTAWA – Airlines in Canada are apparently close to reaching a bailout deal with the federal government.

A government source tells The Globe and Mail the Trudeau government and the country’s airlines are in late-stage negotiations that could end months of talks for a multi-billion dollar rescue plan.

Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu said on the company’s recent conference call that he was optimistic about a deal being put together. This comes after what he described as the bleakest year in the history of commercial aviation, as the number of passengers declined 73 per cent following several years of record growth for Air Canada.

On Friday, the airline reported a $4.5 billion loss for 2020. It said it lost $1.16 billion in the final three months of last year, releasing a financial report on the heels of Thursday’s news that the Canadian government approved Air Canada’s $190-million purchase of Transat A.T...

https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/02...t-deal-report/

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance has released its recommendations for Budget 2021.
Of note for airports:
Recommendation 70: Provide financial support for regional and municipal airport development plans.
Recommendation 71: Support Canadian airports by providing:
• immediate financial support through a moratorium on ground lease rents and interest‐free loans (or equivalent operational support) in order to cover operating costs and alleviate the need for rate increases during the recovery; and
• short-term operating grants for airports to strengthen and maintain financial liquidity.

And for airlines:
Recommendation 109: Require airlines to reimburse their customers whose flights are cancelled.

WestJet has announced that it will suspend service to four domestic stations:

• Medicine Hat (YXH) - service to Calgary suspended as of March 21;
• Lloydminster (YLL) - service to Calgary suspended as of March 19;
• London (YXU) - service to Toronto suspended as of March 22; and
• St. John's (YYT) - service to Halifax suspend as of March 21.

In the case of Medicine Hat and Lloydminster, both destinations join the growing number of Canadian communities that have lost all scheduled air carrier services.

Medicine Hat and Lloydminster are served through Westjet Link, no?

The <50 seat market is so tiny these days that it's almost not worth chasing for big airlines, unless there's high rollers in those communities who will fill Westjet flights at premium dollars.

COVID provided a cover for Air Canada to terminate a bunch of small-time services to the <50 seat market in the eastern parts of the country.

The economics of flying break down where you're not carrying enough bodies. Either you jack up the price to pay for your large fixed costs, further driving down demand or you make things cheaper and make it up on volume.

As for London and St. John's, well, giving up the slice of that pie to your competition sometimes hurts less than keeping up the fight. I suspect we'll continue to see more non-competition until volume picks up.

I'm guessing Brandon is not too far behind... they're down to 3x a week to YYC.

I’d be pissed if there was anywhere to go lol

Correct, both Medicine Hat and Lloydminster are WestJet Link stations (staffed by Pacific Coastal Airlines). With this announcement, WestJet Link operations are now limited to Lethbridge and Cranbrook from Calgary.

Both Lethbridge and Medicine Hat formerly had Air Canada Express service on the Beechcraft 1900 / Dash 8 over the years, which terminated early in 2020. Lloydminster had scheduled service with Central Mountain Air prior to WestJet Link entering the market. I agree with you fully - the trend of regional air service vulnerability is clearly on display throughout the country.

Looks like Central Mountain Air has extended Castlegar/Vancouver service to April 11th. 4x weekly up from 3.

In addition to WS' additional city reductions, in yesterday's weekly OAG, AA pulled all 2021 schedules for YOW, YHZ and YQB.

YOW is the first airport to report 2021 pax stats as follows:

January 2021 pax stats:

Sector / Jan-20 / Jan-21 / % Change
Dom: 278,250 / 34,074 / -87.8%
TB: 61,877 / 0 / -100.0%
Int'l: 66,255 / 0 / -100.0%
TTL: 406,382 / 34,074 / -91.6%

12 Months Rolling / % Change vs Year End 2019
Dom: 787,861 / -80.3%
TB: 101,216 / -85.3%
Int'l: 102,127 / -76.1%
TTL: 991,204 / -80.6% - YOW's now under 1 million pax handled in the past 12 months

The meaningful indicator these days is the month-over-month change:
Sector / Dec-20 / Jan-21 / % Change
Dom: 44,664 / 34,074 / -23.7%
TB: 0 / 0 / #DIV/0!
Int'l: 0 / 0 / #DIV/0!
TTL: 44,664 / 34,074 / -23.7%

They also extended YYC-PHX into May, was previously only scheduled until mid-April.

---
I'm kinda surprised to see WS still keeping weekly flights to HNL/OGG right into April as well. Are people still traveling to Hawaii?

A trickle are. https://vancouversun.com/news/covid-...y-and-saturday

I'm more surprised with AA keeping YYC-PHX around multi-weekly. Are they using a CR9 at present?

AA is flying a 319 daily on YYC-PHX and that’s what’s planned until May 4th currently. There also planning twice daily DFW service on 319, which is an increase over pre-COVID times.

With the retirement of the 319 mainline fleet, it meant the retirement of the TCA 319. However, AC’s brand-new A220, FIN 119 will wear a new version of the TCA retro livery!

https://scontent.fxds1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...99&oe=60559620

It’s scary to behold.

Every single Arrival to YYT today:

https://i.postimg.cc/7LXJ6Sjm/B61-C0...D32-A06100.jpg

And every single Departure:

https://i.postimg.cc/wvvys7pH/63-E84...78-D5-FCBA.jpg

What's so scary?? People are doing actually what they are suppose to be doing and staying home! There's just no need for more capacity. But don't worry....it will all come back as there's going to be such a pent up desire to travel.

Interesting to see those International flights to/from St. Pierre at St. John's YYT which is not one of the 4 airports designated for international flights but there is an exception for St. Pierre residents to enter Canada.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...xemptions.html

"French citizens who live in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and have been in only Canada, the US or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon during the 14 days before the day they seek to enter Canada"

Don't be a narc. :haha:

It's just scary in the sense that it makes obvious the far-reaching effects of the pandemic.

Also, I'm not so sure we will get back to normal. I think it's likely, for example, that we'll have no direct connection to Europe long after the world is up and running again, ending up more than doubling travel time by having to go to mainland Canada first. It's so disappointing on the way home. When we were last in Europe (August/September year before last), flying back from Dublin, we pass over home, I took pictures of the Avalon and St. Pierre below, but we're still in the air for a couple of hours, a few more lounging around the airport in Halifax, then another couples hours back home. It kills an extra day and it's so aggravating to see home below you and know you won't be there for half a day yet.

(Comment is Vid making fun of me, not an NLer actually saying that lol)

https://i.postimg.cc/cJhHBY72/Untitled.png