Halifax Stanfield International Airport Developments

[q12]

Sounds likely that an announcement of the return of the Halifax-Sydney route is coming next week:

Sydney Airport to announce new air travel route

For quite some time now, the Sydney Airport has been operating on two flights in-and-out per day – each route having a single to-and-from flight to Montreal and Toronto.

"Just recently, we went to Boston and my wife and I had to drive to Halifax to catch an hour-and-15-minute flight to Boston,” said Cape Breton Regional Municipality Deputy Mayor James Edwards.

Edwards said there is a particularly strong need right now for more air traffic at the small, regional airport, citing increasing enrolment at Cape Breton University and the new NSCC campus downtown as just a couple of examples of sources of potential travelers.

As things stand now, people often make the three-and-a-half hour drive to-or-from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

"It isn't really a huge inconvenience for us, but if we're going down south or whatever Halifax is usually the first stop unless we get a connector out of Montreal or Toronto,” Edwards said.

Next week, the Sydney Airport Authority plans to announce what it's calling a transformational new route along with Cape Breton's newest airline.

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/sydney-a...source=twitter

[q12]

Great shot from Google maps of one of three regularly scheduled A330 passenger wide-bodies that are in Halifax today (all departing within a 5-hour period).

Air Canada AC667 A330 to Montreal departing Gate 12
Discover 4Y75 A330 to Frankfurt departing Gate 28
Condor DE2417 A330 to Frankfurt departing Gate 27



Source: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RgPrCKsy1Rr5dy886

[egb]

The article says it’s a new airline which I suppose could be Pascan or Porter. One of those is more ‘transformational’ than the other but good for them in any case.

[q12]

Originally Posted by egb

The article says it’s a new airline which I suppose could be Pascan or Porter. One of those is more ‘transformational’ than the other but good for them in any case.

Could be Porter with a daily Q400 to feed it's Halifax Hub. The new daily Florida flights are starting this fall.

If it leaves Halifax's late in the evening and overnights in Sydney and then gets into Halifax the next morning.

That would make Sydney the 9th destination served by Porter out of Halifax.

[q12]

Originally Posted by egb

The article says it’s a new airline which I suppose could be Pascan or Porter. One of those is more ‘transformational’ than the other but good for them in any case.

It's Pascan Saab 340.

Starts in October. 2x Daily Mon-Fri, 1x Daily Sun

Pascan (P6 920) Departs YQY (Sydney) 8:00 am arrives YHZ (Halifax) 8:45 am
Pascan (P6 924) Departs YQY 2:45 am arrives YHZ 3:30 pm

Pascan (P6 923) Departs YHZ 10:00 am arrives YQY 10:45 am
Pascan (P6 919) Departs YHZ 8:20 pm arrives YQY 9:05 pm

[Zmonkey]

Originally Posted by q12

It's Pascan Saab 340.

Starts in October. 2x Daily Mon-Fri, 1x Daily Sun

Pascan (P6 920) Departs YQY (Sydney) 8:00 am arrives YHZ (Halifax) 8:45 am
Pascan (P6 924) Departs YQY 2:45 am arrives YHZ 3:30 pm

Pascan (P6 923) Departs YHZ 10:00 am arrives YQY 10:45 am
Pascan (P6 919) Departs YHZ 8:20 pm arrives YQY 9:05 pm

Does Pascan connect with air canada? They were working on an inter airline agreement but don't think that ever finalized.

[q12]

Latest route map:

[Keith P.]

It is interesting to see how there are relatively few year-round destinations that are not local backwaters. Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, London, NYC, Boston, somewhat strangely Orlando, and even more strangely, Bermuda. Everything else is seasonal. It is still very much a regional airport , as one would expect.

[q12]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

It is still very much a regional airport, as one would expect.

No. It's not a regional airport.

A regional airport usually does not have customs and immigration facilities to process traffic between countries.

Halifax Stanfield is an International Airport that punches way above its's weight class. Seasonal flights are what most people want, so the airlines follow the money. Leisure travel is predominately east-west in the summer, north-south in the winter.

YHZ has more non-stop European destinations than many large U.S. metros.
More than Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Memphis, Kansas City and St. Louis to name a few.

Originally Posted by Keith P.

London, NYC, Boston, somewhat strangely Orlando, and even more strangely, Bermuda

These are International destinations, not domestic regional.

[q12]

Reposting from the Canadian Airport Thread II thanks to Dominion301:

Originally Posted by Dominion301

YHZ's July pax stats

July:

Sector / 2019 / 2023 / 2024 / % Chg: 23 vs 24 / 24 vs 19
Dom: 376,801 / 355,855 / 365,263 / +2.6% / -3.1%
TB/USA: 35,171 / 18,191 / 36,658 / +101.5% / +4.2%
INT'L: 31,202 / 25,286 / 44,650 / +76.6% / +43.1%
Total: 443,174 / 399,332 / 446,571 / +11.8% / +0.8%


Year-to-Date (YTD):

Sector / 2019 / 2023 / 2024 / % Chg: 23 vs 24 / 24 vs 19
Dom: 1,949,264 / 1,701,295 / 1,749,463 / +2.8% / -10.3%
TB/USA: 216,397 / 117,300 / 165,318 / +40.9% / -23.6%
INT'L: 225,876 / 223,222 / 296,488 / +32.8% / +31.3%
Total 2,391,537 / 2,041,817 / 2,211,269 / +8.3% / -7.5%

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by q12

These are International destinations, not domestic regional.

Thank you for pointing out the obvious. I guess it never occurred to you that is why they were grouped together.

It has been an international airport for most if not all of its existence because of where were are on the map.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by q12

Halifax Stanfield is an International Airport that punches way above its's weight class.

Yes. It's puzzling when I hear people complain - as I fairly frequently do - about the lack of air service here and what a backwater Halifax is. They have completely unrealistic expectations and have no idea how well off we actually are. I daresay there's not another city of 1/2 million anywhere in North America that has anything like the direct flights Halifax does. As Keith points out, it's an accident of geography - but a very happy one.

[Dartguard]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

Yes. It's puzzling when I hear people complain - as I fairly frequently do - about the lack of air service here and what a backwater Halifax is. They have completely unrealistic expectations and have no idea how well off we actually are. I daresay there's not another city of 1/2 million anywhere in North America that has anything like the direct flights Halifax does. As Keith points out, it's an accident of geography - but a very happy one.

Too True Saul. I remember a conversation I had some years ago with my Toronto based VP of a company I worked for from 2015-2022. His eyes kept getting wider and wider as I described the direct flight options I had from Halifax especially to Europe. He was blown away that "tiny" Halifax had that many direct options.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I used to try to educate people from elsewhere who thought of Halifax as a backwater. Now we have more new people than we can deal with, so I no longer want to let people know what a great area we live in. “No, Halifax could never be as nice as Toronto. No need to move here because you’d be disappointed!”.

[Empire]

Here is the importance of having direct flights to Europe:

Sunday Times
Canada’s most exciting coastal city (that’s only six hours away)
https://www.thetimes.com/travel/dest...-eat-mrqqxdp8w

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by Empire

Here is the importance of having direct flights to Europe:

Sunday Times
Canada’s most exciting coastal city (that’s only six hours away)
https://www.thetimes.com/travel/dest...-eat-mrqqxdp8w

Funny they mention 'seasonal flight' as AC provides year round service.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by connect2source

Funny they mention 'seasonal flight' as AC provides year round service.

- and has done since the 1960s!

These jumped out at me too:

"There are about 10,000 recorded shipwrecks off the coast of Nova Scotia...The most notorious is the RMS Titanic" The Titanic sank off Nova Scotia? Really?

"Halifax’s hotels are more family-run than big brand" Seriously? Just try to count all the Marriotts around here...more than a few Hiltons and Holiday Inns too.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

- and has done since the 1960s!

These jumped out at me too:

"There are about 10,000 recorded shipwrecks off the coast of Nova Scotia...The most notorious is the RMS Titanic" The Titanic sank off Nova Scotia? Really?

"Halifax’s hotels are more family-run than big brand" Seriously? Just try to count all the Marriotts around here...more than a few Hiltons and Holiday Inns too.

The Times, they are a'changin'...

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The Times, they are a'changin'...

Budda-dump-tsssshhhh!

[egb]

Question for the airline experts, are Jazz pilots based locally or do they often fly in from other hubs? (I have a Jazz flight that is shortly after the AC strike is due to start)
Jazz isn’t affected technically but if their pilots can’t get here then….