Halifax Stanfield International Airport Developments

[Keith P.]

^^^ That really doesn't deal with my question though. Obviously upon arrival in Canada and leaving the aircraft there is a Customs process that must occur at the first point of arrival. That is why CC is within the secure area at present. In the past that involved claiming your bags off a luggage carousel inside that CC area and then going thru Customs for inspection. All I see here is a serpentine line to take you to a counter for dealing with CC. Where do the bags enter the picture? How do they get matched up with a passenger and gone thru by a CC officer with suspicions?

I remember one trip where we were a group of 3 traveling together and one of us (not me thankfully) must have said something triggering to a CC officer that resulted in him being pulled out of line and sent to an office area where we could see him inside a glassed-in office being grilled and his bag being gone through. He had not done anything wrong; he just said something that triggered CC to think he was up to something, not really surprising since he was a bit of an idiot when it came to such things. I am struggling to understand how bag matching and claiming occurs here in the absence of seeing any such facilities.

[q12]

CBSA has a process for checked bags that need to be checked and a separate area for that inspection if necessary. This connection process has been happening for years at other large airports in Canada.

Toronto Pearson:

Arriving international connecting to domestic
Passengers arriving from eligible airlines and international destinations connecting on to a Canadian city do not have to pick up their checked baggage (unless otherwise stated by CBSA) and can go directly to their departing gate after clearing CBSA)

https://www.torontopearson.com/en/connections


Also from CBSA in 2018:

Supporting smoother connections

For passengers arriving into Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver, Calgary and Montréal on certain airlines from specific locations, the experience is now a bit more straightforward.

A new International to Domestic process means that eligible travellers no longer have to pick up their baggage – unless advised otherwise by CBSA personnel.

Maintaining security
Security and compliance remain top priorities. CBSA personnel are still able to examine any individual or good it requires. During the first eight months of 2018, over one million bags went through the new International to Domestic process at Toronto Pearson, 2,688 of which were manually recalled by CBSA personnel.

CBSA also has the option of selecting all eligible bags from a predetermined flight in order to examine them in the Secure Baggage Inspection Area, where an x-ray workstation connected to the baggage system and an examination area are available to Border Services Officers.

There are plans for the International to Domestic baggage process to be expanded to more airlines and routes as well as to other airports.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-a.../tour-eng.html

[magee_b]

I think there’s confusion with the “screening” terminology.

This should separate connecting passengers - allow them to clear immigration and customs separately (and their bags) and send them directly back into the secure area (the gate area) of the terminal without an extra security screening

Previously one would clear immigration and customs, collect bags and have to drop them off, exit the secure part of the terminal and then be re-screened at security with all passengers departing Halifax before re-entering the secure part of the terminal

So it is a shortcut that has been in place in other Canadian airports and requires the new facility for the separate immigration/customs screening of the connecting passengers (and their baggage behind the scenes).

[Keith P.]

I still don’t get it unfortunately. They can x-ray any or all bags, or manually go through a sample, or something something. I understand the part about not having to exit Customs and go back through security with your bags one more time, but that seems almost a trivial benefit given the cost of this. I don’t think I’m hallucinating in remembering a baggage carousel in the Customs hall? It just seems pretty convoluted hoping that baggage handlers don’t foul up what has to go where. Although I suppose if this removes arriving passengers who are connecting to elsewhere from those whose destination was right here, that would speed processing up.

[MonctonRad]

I think this is th big difference.

Currently you collect your luggage, go through customs, redeposit your luggage on a carousel, then have to go back through security screening again before re-entering the departures lounge.

With the new paradigm, you go through customs (probably with your luggage, but I am not 100% certain on that), you may or may not have to redeposit your luggage on a carousel, but you remain in the departures area and do not have to be x-rayed, frisked or have an endocavitary search on the way.

If someone could clarify if tou need to have your luggage with you going through customs, that would be helpful.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I think this is th big difference.

Currently you collect your luggage, go through customs, redeposit your luggage on a carousel, then have to go back through security screening again before re-entering the departures lounge.

With the new paradigm, you go through customs (probably with your luggage, but I am not 100% certain on that), you may or may not have to redeposit your luggage on a carousel, but you remain in the departures area and do not have to be x-rayed, frisked or have an endocavitary search on the way.

If someone could clarify if tou need to have your luggage with you going through customs, that would be helpful.

My impression was that if you are directed to this new area, your bags are somewhere else being examined (or not) by Customs. If you are cleared to go, you return to the departures area for your next flight and hope that the bags will come with you, but that's up to the baggage handlers. If you're not cleared, then God help you.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

My impression was that if you are directed to this new area, your bags are somewhere else being examined (or not) by Customs. If you are cleared to go, you return to the departures area for your next flight and hope that the bags will come with you, but that's up to the baggage handlers. If you're not cleared, then God help you.

This is how it currently works in Halifax for US Pre-Clearance. You drop your checked bags off before you get to USCBP Primary or CATSA security. After you and your carry-on go through CATSA x-rays, metal detectors, whatever searches, you line up for Primary Inspection. By the time you get to an officer in Primary, your bags have been weighed, photographed, and scanned - when the officer is talking to you, they have access to your bag information... they can guage if you've over/underpacked for what you say your doing, etc. If the officer has a concern based on their interaction with you, you are sent to Secondary Inspection, your bag is pulled out of the queue and meets you at Secondary. If there is an issue with your bag, it'll be send to Secondary automatically and the officer at Primary will send you there to meet it.

I assume similar would happen here.

[JonToms]

WestJet have cut their once weekly YHZ-MCO (Orlando) flight for the winter season. It resumes again in April 2026.

https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/flights/direct-flights

[q12]

Another triple wide-body (scheduled) Sunday at YHZ:

Some fantastic photos from Facebook (Credit Facebook User: Zander Lavigne via YHZ Halifax Airport Spotters https://www.facebook.com/groups/6802908519737785/)

Air Canada 667 to YUL (A330)

(Credit Facebook User: Zander Lavigne via YHZ Halifax Airport Spotters https://www.facebook.com/groups/6802908519737785/)

Discover Airlines 74 from FRA (A330)

(Credit Facebook User: Zander Lavigne via YHZ Halifax Airport Spotters https://www.facebook.com/groups/6802908519737785/)

Edelweiss Air 18 from ZRH (A340)

(Credit Facebook User: Zander Lavigne via YHZ Halifax Airport Spotters https://www.facebook.com/groups/6802908519737785/)

[JonToms]

United Airlines are continuing their double daily EWR flights until January 5, 2026 rather than going back to their once daily flights at the end of October. On January 6, 2026 they will go down to one daily EWR flight until March 29, 2026 when they will go back to double daily flights to EWR.

[q12]

Bermudair will be going from the current 2x weekly schedule to 3x weekly this winter (Tue, Thu, Sun).

[JonToms]

HIAA Route Update:

AC have added a second daily flight YHZ-YVR (Vancouver) until October 25, 2025 when the seasonal service ends.

Porter have added a four weekly flight YHZ-YDF (Deer Lake) for the winter season from October 26, 2025 until April 29, 2026. It goes back to a daily service for the summer season on May 1, 2026.

[miniborder]

https://www.aircanada.com/media/xlr-...g-summer-2026/

Air Canada's press release announcing their first A321XLR route has a nice little tidbit for us here at YHZ:

As Air Canada takes delivery of additional A321XLR aircraft, the airline will be adding more exciting routes from Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax, amongst other cities.

[Saul Goode]

The 321XLR could really offer us some good stuff.

Interesting that AC, having cut its initial very substantial 737MAX orders way back, is still receiving them but will relegate them all to Rouge once delivered. I've only ever flown YHZ-LHR on 767s but since they were retired have heard a number of complaints from those who have done it on the 737MAX, saying it's a much less enjoyable flight. I understand the 321XLR supposedly will have superior amenities, particularly in business class.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

The 321XLR could really offer us some good stuff.

Interesting that AC, having cut its initial very substantial 737MAX orders way back, is still receiving them but will relegate them all to Rouge once delivered. I've only ever flown YHZ-LHR on 767s but since they were retired have heard a number of complaints from those who have done it on the 737MAX, saying it's a much less enjoyable flight. I understand the 321XLR supposedly will have superior amenities, particularly in business class.

Quite an interesting post, Saul, after the spirited defense of the outdated 737 you made to me here last year. I was highlighting the awful experience of flying trans-oceanic on the MAX, and you tried to pooh-pooh that. Now those issues are finally leading to changes thanks to AC actually listening to customers. Refreshing. Good on AC for finally doing the right thing.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Quite an interesting post, Saul, after the spirited defense of the outdated 737 you made to me here last year. I was highlighting the awful experience of flying trans-oceanic on the MAX, and you tried to pooh-pooh that. Now those issues are finally leading to changes thanks to AC actually listening to customers. Refreshing. Good on AC for finally doing the right thing.

Was wondering when you'd chime in, Keith.

You clearly misunderstand what’s happening here. The notion that ”those issues are finally leading to changes thanks to AC actually listening to customers” is simply wrong. This is patently not a case of AC replacing the 737 MAX on transoceanic routes because of any perceived deficiency or passenger dissatisfaction. It’s about standardizing the Rouge fleet on a single aircraft type with greater range and fuel efficiency and lower operating and maintenance costs than the three older-generation Airbus types it currently operates. Those are huge considerations in the highly competitive budget vacation market. And with Rouge, they’ll still be flying long transoceanic routes.

The move to the A321XLR in the mainline AC fleet is happening (as its name suggests) because of its range - a whopping 1200 nautical miles/2200 km greater than the MAX 8, which opens up a lot of new routes previously accessible only to much larger wide-body aircraft (777/787/A330). That it apparently also offers greater comfort in business class than the MAX 8 is simply a bonus.

I maintain everything I said about the 737 MAX last time around. By any objective standard, passenger comfort in economy class in the MAX 8 is not materially different from any of its competitors. If it were, airlines wouldn’t continue to buy them in large numbers. Margins in the notoriously cutthroat industry are razor-thin. Nobody can afford to operate a less competitive airplane. Did you miss the fact that WestJet just recently upped its MAX 10 order by an additional 60 - with options on another 25?

My post above was about business class creature comforts. Folks I know who travel the YHZ-LHR route often and were used to flying business class on 767s say it was much superior to the 737 experience. Personally, I wouldn't know. But I do know that in the economy-class cabin there’s no real difference. For that matter, my worst-ever transatlantic flight by far wasn’t on a 737, it was on the much larger 767, and that was all down to seat pitch.

[Keith P.]

And here I was assuming that they were assigning the 737 Max fleet to Rouge in order to let that brand continue to offer the worst customer comfort and experience of any major airline. Silly me.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

And here I was assuming that they were assigning the 737 Max fleet to Rouge in order to let that brand continue to offer the worst customer comfort and experience of any major airline. Silly me.

To "be rouged" has entered the Canadian lexicon as a new term indicating indifferent service in an uncomfortable environment with a general sense of disregard and contempt.

I was rouged on a trip to San Diego about six years back. By the time I got off the plane, I was damned near crippled.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

To "be rouged" has entered the Canadian lexicon as a new term indicating indifferent service in an uncomfortable environment with a general sense of disregard and contempt.

I was rouged on a trip to San Diego about six years back. By the time I got off the plane, I was damned near crippled.

Ditto for me on a flight to Tampa 2-3 years ago on an A320. No room at all to move my legs during the flight (I'm a little over 6'1", so hardly a giant) and my knees were screaming by the time we landed. I was hobbling around for the next couple of days.

I've taken to calling them Air Canada Rude.

Fortunately, Porter now offers a much more comfortable ride on that route on the E195-E2 where you can buy an extra-legroom seat for a small premium.

[JonToms]

Icelandair 2026 Halifax Flight Schedule Increases

Icelandair have recently updated their 2026 schedule for Halifax. Their first flight is scheduled for Thursday, June 4 which is 2 1/2 weeks earlier than there 2025 seasonal flight. This flight will operate YYZ (Halifax) to KEF (Reykjavík) one to three times per week until June 21. Then it will increase to five days per week (MWTFS). This is an increase from 2025 when they only operated three flights per week. The schedule on their website currently only goes until August 19. The five flights per week continue right up until this date.