Canadian Airport Thread II

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

Mexico travel isn't down though. The flights are still very full. Only PVR, ZLO and GDL were effected by yesterday's violence.

I also see in this weekend's update, WS even added additional capacity into Mexico from Eastern cities YUL/YQB/YQM/YFC/YOW (particularly CUN) likely replacing Cuba capacity.

It’s early days yet. A lot will depend on what actions the cartels take going forward. I found it odd Anand so quickly ruled out rescue flights. Have the airlines given any hint of when they might restart flights?

[hollywoodcory]

Originally Posted by whatnext

It’s early days yet. A lot will depend on what actions the cartels take going forward. I found it odd Anand so quickly ruled out rescue flights. Have the airlines given any hint of when they might restart flights?

WS is resuming all three of those airports tomorrow.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

WS is resuming all three of those airports tomorrow.

So are AC, TS & PD.

[Dominion301]

Looks like YQL and YXH are going to be losing air service on 24JUN26: https://medicinehatnews.com/advert/public-notice/

Those cities begged for WS service, which triggered AC's departure and now...

I wonder if a tier III carrier like CMA will step in? CMA do have interline agreements with both AC and WS and have better suited aircraft sizes to allow for 2-3x daily service.

[Dominion301]

YLW's January pax stats:

Month / 2025 / 2026 / % Change vs Prior Year

Jan. 197,630 / 212,604 / +7.6%

[Dominion301]

YXE's January pax stats:

Month / 2025 / 2026 / % Change

Jan. / 124,350 / 117,956 / -5.1%

[whatnext]

it's not often I'd credit Trump with any sensible action but in this case approval was long overdue. I wonder who was behind playing silly-buggers with the whole process?

Transport Canada approves remaining Gulfstream models at centre of Trump’s threats
Nicolas Van Praet
Published 4 hours ago
Updated 8 minutes ago
For Subscribers

Transport Canada has certified the two remaining Gulfstream jet models at the heart of recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump against Canada’s aerospace industry.

The federal department awarded “type certification” to Gulfstream’s G700 and G800 planes on Monday, according to a document from Transport Canada’s National Aeronautical Product Approval database. Two other Gulfstream models, the G500 and G600, were approved earlier this month.

Federal officials had been working behind the scenes to assuage U.S. anger over jet safety approvals after Mr. Trump blasted Canada in a social media post in late January for having “wrongfully, illegally and steadfastly refused” to certify the four Gulfstream jet models...

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business...certifies-g700-and-g800-gulfstream-jets/

[msmariner]

Is Boeing going to get Trump to go after FAA to get B777X’s & B737MAX-7 & 10 approved early too. Seems like the same situations. Except Trump may not have been paid off by Boeing yet

[casper]

Originally Posted by whatnext

it's not often I'd credit Trump with any sensible action but in this case approval was long overdue. I wonder who was behind playing silly-buggers with the whole process?

Transport Canada approves remaining Gulfstream models at centre of Trump’s threats
Nicolas Van Praet
Published 4 hours ago
Updated 8 minutes ago
For Subscribers

Transport Canada has certified the two remaining Gulfstream jet models at the heart of recent threats by U.S. President Donald Trump against Canada’s aerospace industry.

The federal department awarded “type certification” to Gulfstream’s G700 and G800 planes on Monday, according to a document from Transport Canada’s National Aeronautical Product Approval database. Two other Gulfstream models, the G500 and G600, were approved earlier this month.

Federal officials had been working behind the scenes to assuage U.S. anger over jet safety approvals after Mr. Trump blasted Canada in a social media post in late January for having “wrongfully, illegally and steadfastly refused” to certify the four Gulfstream jet models...

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business...certifies-g700-and-g800-gulfstream-jets/

Sounds like it was in process. Currently we have no evidence the approval was done with outstanding issues not being resolved.

[Surrealplaces]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

YYC has posted its January 2026 stats

Domestic: 897,170 +2.8%
Transborder: 240,543 -7.4%
International: 238,467 +12.3%

January 2026 total: 1,376,180 +2.3%

International is close to overtaking Transborder. Sign of the times.

[Calfan12]

Originally Posted by Dominion301

Looks like YQL and YXH are going to be losing air service on 24JUN26: https://medicinehatnews.com/advert/public-notice/

Those cities begged for WS service, which triggered AC's departure and now...

I wonder if a tier III carrier like CMA will step in? CMA do have interline agreements with both AC and WS and have better suited aircraft sizes to allow for 2-3x daily service.

Yes ,not surprising (WS) WestJet is ending it

There’s still Ebus bus service that connects Calgary YYC - Lethbridge YQL - YYC daily 7 days a week both directions ✅.

Also Flixbus bus service connects YYC -Medicine Hat YXH - YYC up to 4x weekly both directions✅.

Bus service is a better fit between Calgary -Lethbridge -Medicine Hat, as it seats up to 40 - 50+ passengers depending on the type of bus they use for it!
The Ebus/ Flixbus trips start up at Edmonton YEG area 1st - Red Deer - Calgary & then to either Lethbridge or Medicine Hat as final stops.

[Zmonkey]

Originally Posted by Calfan12

Yes ,not surprising (WS) WestJet is ending it

There’s still Ebus bus service that connects Calgary YYC - Lethbridge YQL - YYC daily 7 days a week both directions ✅.

Also Flixbus bus service connects YYC -Medicine Hat YXH - YYC up to 4x weekly both directions✅.

Bus service is a better fit between Calgary -Lethbridge -Medicine Hat, as it seats up to 40 - 50+ passengers depending on the type of bus they use for it!
The Ebus/ Flixbus trips start up at Edmonton YEG area 1st - Red Deer - Calgary & then to either Lethbridge or Medicine Hat as final stops.

Bus Service is not better for people who need the airport. The flight did not exist to connect Lethbridge/Medicine Hat to Calgary. It exists to connect Lethbridge/Medicine Hat to rest of Canada and other markets.

Smaller urban centers are losing flights or losing frequencies post covid. This is a national trend that is getting worse. Smaller cities are less connected now than 2020. That is a problem. It is a problem that is getting worse, nationally.

Sarnia, North Bay and Kingston all lost service on Air Canada to Toronto. Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge all lost or losing service. Red Deer used to have a flight to Calgary on Air Canada. Kenora had flights to Winnipeg. Other cities have massive cuts to frequencies (Fort Mac, Sault Saint Marie, Regina, Thunder Bay, Rouyn, Gander etc) which has led to flying going up dramatically price wise in those regions.

This is a tale of 2 Canada's big cities are doing fine flight wise, and prices are coming down. If you are in a city of under 200,000 its the opposite - and all signs are it will get worse.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by Zmonkey

Bus Service is not better for people who need the airport. The flight did not exist to connect Lethbridge/Medicine Hat to Calgary. It exists to connect Lethbridge/Medicine Hat to rest of Canada and other markets.

Smaller urban centers are losing flights or losing frequencies post covid. This is a national trend that is getting worse. Smaller cities are less connected now than 2020. That is a problem. It is a problem that is getting worse, nationally.

Sarnia, North Bay and Kingston all lost service on Air Canada to Toronto. Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge all lost or losing service. Red Deer used to have a flight to Calgary on Air Canada. Kenora had flights to Winnipeg. Other cities have massive cuts to frequencies (Fort Mac, Sault Saint Marie, Regina, Thunder Bay, Rouyn, Gander etc) which has led to flying going up dramatically price wise in those regions.

This is a tale of 2 Canada's big cities are doing fine flight wise, and prices are coming down. If you are in a city of under 200,000 its the opposite - and all signs are it will get worse.

The retirement of the DH3s and prior to that DH1s at AC that really hurt the regional cities and then the likes of Red Deer, the BEH tier III flying.

This summer AC for the Ontario feeder routes are starting to rebuild frequencies to YQG, YXU, YSB, YAM & YTS. YYB lost out because unlike YTS, it's an easy drive to Toronto, which kept O&D low and it was a traditional DH1 market. It's the first sign of a rebound for those markets, along with WS coming back to YAM and into YYB for the first time. Seeing AC restore YXU-YOW (can't understand why PD hasn't jumped on this one, especially as they move YQG over to YOW) would be a further sign.

YXU's still a long ways off their peak pax counts even with the YYZ frequency additions.

[Base]

I really hate to see it. Lethbridge, Red Deer, & Medecine Hat have all struggled to maintain air service. I think people just prefer to drive and save the flight connection, heck there are a ton of people from Edmonton even that drive down to Calgary to avoid a connection but in smaller communities you need everyone taking the flight from your airport to sustain.

[Myst]

YQF (Red Deer) was an experiment for a short while for AC. It didn’t have any longstanding service. And with YYC being on the north side of Calgary and YEG on the south side of Edmonton it isn’t surprising YQF regional service basically disappeared decades ago. Not to say a YVR nonstop couldn’t carve out a niche, but a feeder to YYC is tougher.

YQL isn’t too far from YYC, but on the other end of the city, and did have longstanding service and a much higher level of service always. Far more potential in resumption or in another route there.

[Dominion301]

For those that use AF/KL and collect Flying Blue points a hugely positive change is coming in May as both flying and non-flying points earned will be treated equally with the same two year reset period. This will finally bring AF/KL into alignment with other FF programs.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/air-france-klm-flying-blue-mileage-expiration-policy/

[hollywoodcory]

AC has further cancelled Cuba until November 1.

I suspect WS may also follow suit and suspend Cuba until next winter too.

[thenoflyzone]

Cuba is going to be like Tel Aviv these last couple of years. They’re gonna keep kicking the - relaunch - ball down the road as long as conditions don’t improve.

[kattiff]

Didn’t Air Canada purchase or will purchase those Heart ES30 battery planes…
I always imagined they would return to the small cities into ON, QC, AB and BC with them since the Qs are just too big for the routes like Medicine Hat to Calgary

[JonToms]

Originally Posted by kattiff

Didn’t Air Canada purchase or will purchase those Heart ES30 battery planes…
I always imagined they would return to the small cities into ON, QC, AB and BC with them since the Qs are just too big for the routes like Medicine Hat to Calgary

Yes, Air Canada has an order for 30 of the Hearst ES-30 electric aircraft.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ai...y%20partner%20in%20Heart%20Aerospace.%22