Canadian Airport Thread II

[Calfan12]

LATAM EXPANDS WESTJET CODESHARE IN NW25

LATAM Airlines in Northern winter 2025/26 season plans to expand codeshare partnership with WestJet, covering additional routes between Orlando and Canada. Following codeshare routes are scheduled from 26OCT25.

LATAM operated by WestJet
Orlando – Calgary
Orlando – Edmonton
Orlando – Vancouver

https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250514-lawscodeshare

[jc_yyc_ca]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

From YYZ, WS used to fly to LGA, in the past. From YYC, they fly to JFK.

Ah, you're correct. I asked my wife and she said we flew YYC-YYZ-LGA. Another trip we did YYC to JFK, and was getting them m mixed up.

[thenoflyzone]

Happen to notice this from a few months ago, mentioning that YUL is one of 20 QR destinations to be guaranteed a QSuite-equipped aircraft (QR’s flagship business class product) this summer season.

https://mainlymiles.com/2024/12/08/qatar...siness-class-routes-including-singapore/

Wasn’t expecting YUL to be on that list. Only 63% of QR’s A350s and B777s have the Qsuite.

[Dominion301]

QF are increasing their winter seasonal YVR service from 3x weekly to up to daily this coming winter: https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250525-qf1q26yvr

[IcyRock]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Happen to notice this from a few months ago, mentioning that YUL is one of 20 QR destinations to be guaranteed a QSuite-equipped aircraft (QR’s flagship business class product) this summer season.

https://mainlymiles.com/2024/12/08/qatar...siness-class-routes-including-singapore/

Wasn’t expecting YUL to be on that list. Only 63% of QR’s A350s and B777s have the Qsuite.

QR is surprisingly reducing frequency on YUL-DOH starting this June, from daily to 5x weekly as shown on the website.

[hollywoodcory]

WG ends operations this week as an airline and will be fully integrated into WS.

Also sounds like WS will simply be flying for Sunwing Vacations, and some routes/destinations like RIH/HOG/CYO/SNU and won't actually be bookable as an air only option....at least not yet.

WS also extended its schedule into Summer 2026. Just a few notes as lots of changes will follow:

-AMS seems permanent now. Guess third times the charm?
-Some routes added in 2025 have earlier starts like YYC-MSP / YVR-BOS well others have later starts like YYC-RDU & YEG-ORD.
-YEG-SLC re-timed to depart at 10:30am instead of 7am.
-ICN is 5-6x weekly entire summer.
-Large parts of the network was given new flight numbers.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by IcyRock

QR is surprisingly reducing frequency on YUL-DOH starting this June, from daily to 5x weekly as shown on the website.

I think the bilateral agreement between Qatar and Canada only allows 10x weekly frequencies at the moment, at least until October.

So the same week YYZ is going up from 3x weekly to 5x weekly, YUL is being reduced from 7x weekly to 5x weekly. This transition happens the week of June 15.

https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250418-qrns25yyz

YYZ is scheduled to go daily in October. I believe YUL will stay at 5x weekly, so could be the bilateral only goes up to 12x weekly at that time. Now that EK is in YUL, QR no longer has a monopoly to the region, and so it makes sense for them to concentrate the majority of their rights to YYZ, Canada's largest air market. Hopefully the bilateral will be updated to allow 14x weekly frequencies, so that YUL can go back up to daily as well.

[thenoflyzone]

^ This being said, I think the landing rights will stay at 12x weekly for a while. It's on par with what Turkiye has. TK will start complaining if QR gets more rights that it.

[whatnext]

Anybody else catch this on CBC yesterday? AC pilot justifiably calling out Navcan at YVR. I hope he doesn't get in trouble, it needs to be said.

• Video Link

[IcyRock]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

^ This being said, I think the landing rights will stay at 12x weekly for a while. It's on par with what Turkiye has. TK will start complaining if QR gets more rights that it.

For years now QR, TK and even SV clearly have a strong desire to increase operations in Canada. Why don't they just put pressure (or lobby) on their respective governments to bring Canada to the table to negotiate better agreements instead of flooding the CTA with extra-bilateral requests? That energy would be better used there no?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by IcyRock

For years now QR, TK and even SV clearly have a strong desire to increase operations in Canada. Why don't they just put pressure (or lobby) on their respective governments to bring Canada to the table to negotiate better agreements instead of flooding the CTA with extra-bilateral requests? That energy would be better used there no?

Put pressure how exactly. Unlike other countries they can’t blackmail us with threats over natural resources.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Anybody else catch this on CBC yesterday? AC pilot justifiably calling out Navcan at YVR. I hope he doesn't get in trouble, it needs to be said.

Except what he’s saying is not true. The shortage isn’t due to sick leave or overtime protection. That much I can guarantee you.

YVR tower is massively understaffed. Training takes time. Success rates are never going to be 100%, so it will take time to sort out the problem.

In the meantime, putting restrictions to guarantee safety is a necessity, unless you want another DCA midair collision happening over Vancouver.

I don’t tell a pilot how to fly his plane, he shouldn’t tell me how to control my airspace/aircraft.

Complaining to your MP won’t change a thing. The Federal government knows the situation very well already. Heck, out of the 15 members of NavCan’s board of directors, 3 are elected by the government of Canada, 4 by Canada’s airlines and 1 from the business aviation community. That means the majority of the stakeholders are either the governement or the airlines. You want someone to blame, blame them. The controllers are doing the best they can, keeping safety top of mind.

https://www.navcanada.ca/en/corporate/governance/board-of-directors-and-advisory-committee.aspx

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by IcyRock

For years now QR, TK and even SV clearly have a strong desire to increase operations in Canada. Why don't they just put pressure (or lobby) on their respective governments to bring Canada to the table to negotiate better agreements instead of flooding the CTA with extra-bilateral requests? That energy would be better used there no?

All three countries have abysmal human rights records. The bilaterals won’t increase anytime soon, and if they do, it won’t be by much.

These agreements are more than just about weekly frequency allocations.

[Calfan12]

Very interesting YouTube video of what’s it like being an Air Traffic Controller in Singapore - https://youtu.be/rsfz88UFpVI?si=ZxaP8PDzz_e6UEav

I’m sure most world Air Traffic Controllers are similar✅!

[hollywoodcory]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Except what he’s saying is not true. The shortage isn’t due to sick leave or overtime protection. That much I can guarantee you.

YVR tower is massively understaffed. Training takes time. Success rates are never going to be 100%, so it will take time to sort out the problem.

In the meantime, putting restrictions to guarantee safety is a necessity, unless you want another DCA midair collision happening over Vancouver.

I don’t tell a pilot how to fly his plane, he shouldn’t tell me how to control my airspace/aircraft.

Complaining to your MP won’t change a thing. The Federal government knows the situation very well already. Heck, out of the 15 members of NavCan’s board of directors, 3 are elected by the government of Canada, 4 by Canada’s airlines and 1 from the business aviation community. That means the majority of the stakeholders are either the governement or the airlines. You want someone to blame, blame them. The controllers are doing the best they can, keeping safety top of mind.

https://www.navcanada.ca/en/corporate/governance/board-of-directors-and-advisory-committee.aspx

At the same time, front line airline employees are the ones taking the most abuse over it. It's why airline employees have started speaking out about it.

When you have blue skies, a crew and a working plane but the flight is still delayed 2+ hours for something that the airline itself has zero control over.

[thenoflyzone]

In other news, seems Flair is laying off 20 pilots, downgrading 20 captains to FO’s and closing their base at YKF effective Sept. 1.

https://gifyu.com/image/bxHRq

[hehehe]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

In other news, seems Flair is laying off 20 pilots, downgrading 20 captains to FO’s and closing their base at YKF effective Sept. 1.

https://gifyu.com/image/bxHRq

Guess their YKF experiment didn't work out...

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by hehehe

Guess their YKF experiment didn't work out...

At least according to their online schedules, Flair aren't ending service to YKF, but rather are closing the base. In other words all flights to/from YKF will be from crews at other bases. Guess they think having fewer bases will save them $$$. Looking at their winter schedule, as of 29DEC25, all of their routes this winter from YKF (YYC, YHZ, YVR, MCO, CUN & PVR) are twice weekly - except PVR that is only weekly. So with only 11 weekly flights, it's understandable as to why they're closing the base. Then in summer when the domestic routes at or close to daily (along with YXX & YEG), those can be staffed entirely from those bases. Too much seasonality at YKF.

[Dominion301]

There was a smoke in cockpit incident on a 5T ATR from YFB to YXP on 14MAY25.

https://avherald.com/h?article=528133ad&opt=0

[RomanR27]

Originally Posted by Dominion301

At least according to their online schedules, Flair aren't ending service to YKF, but rather are closing the base. In other words all flights to/from YKF will be from crews at other bases. Guess they think having fewer bases will save them $$$. Looking at their winter schedule, as of 29DEC25, all of their routes this winter from YKF (YYC, YHZ, YVR, MCO, CUN & PVR) are twice weekly - except PVR that is only weekly. So with only 11 weekly flights, it's understandable as to why they're closing the base. Then in summer when the domestic routes at or close to daily (along with YXX & YEG), those can be staffed entirely from those bases. Too much seasonality at YKF.

Flair has confirmed that they'll be ending international flying out of YKF as well: https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article...ase-end-international-routes-out-of-ykf/