Calgary International Airport III

[Zmonkey]

Anyone know what YYC is planning to do in there former screening areas (A,B,C) apparently a couple of engineering firms around Calgary are putting in some bids this month for future work in those spaces.

[hollywoodcory]

They are building an exit from the secured area to arrivals where B was, I’m guessing the other 2 will end up being retail space.

[hehehe]

Just a quick question - anyone know why YXJ has no Saturday service? It's up to 3x daily this summer Mon-Fri but nothing on Saturday?

[Nick]

I'm sure it has to do with working commuters. I'm guessing they had it in the past and the loads weren't good.

[hollywoodcory]

AA has added extra flights to DFW and CLT during stampede week.

Given how much growth AA has shown as of late, I wonder if PHL could be in the cards soon?

[yyc_engineer]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

AA has added extra flights to DFW and CLT during stampede week.

Given how much growth AA has shown as of late, I wonder if PHL could be in the cards soon?

Dallas - Calgary during Stampede, does my cowboy hat count as a personal item ?

Real talk, it's good to see AA giving Calgary some love. So many good memories of seeing and flying out on their Mad Dogs over the years. They are up against the AC/UA Star Alliance tag-team and WS/DL situationship - both of which are formidable challenges.

Would like to see AA go 3X YYC-DFW year round, before adding PHL. Dallas is such a mega hub and we miss out on taking advantage of it with our current schedule. ORD is a tough one with both UA and WS on the route, but 2X YYC-ORD would be good. More frequency to fewer hubs over less frequency to more hubs. The exception being LAX, that would be a good connection for Australia / NZ.

Charlotte is neat, hope that stays.

[hollywoodcory]

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

Dallas - Calgary during Stampede, does my cowboy hat count as a personal item ?

Real talk, it's good to see AA giving Calgary some love. So many good memories of seeing and flying out on their Mad Dogs over the years. They are up against the AC/UA Star Alliance tag-team and WS/DL situationship - both of which are formidable challenges.

Would like to see AA go 3X YYC-DFW year round, before adding PHL. Dallas is such a mega hub and we miss out on taking advantage of it with our current schedule. ORD is a tough one with both UA and WS on the route, but 2X YYC-ORD would be good. More frequency to fewer hubs over less frequency to more hubs. The exception being LAX, that would be a good connection for Australia / NZ.

Charlotte is neat, hope that stays.

AA already serves 2x ORD in the summer. I don’t know how well the weekly LGA did, but they must be happy with it, if they choose to add JFK to go along with it. Perhaps NYC and CLT will eventually be daily.

On another note, WS has increased SAN to 10x weekly for July / August.

[YYCFlier]

Can someone remind me why the dungeon in gates A01-A06 exists? (That's actually what the WS agents called it). Surely with an airport with so many gates we don't have to ground load DH4s in winter.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

Can someone remind me why the dungeon in gates A01-A06 exists? (That's actually what the WS agents called it). Surely with an airport with so many gates we don't have to ground load DH4s in winter.

At the very least, make the ground loading gates look decent and not utilitarian. Compare the ground loading gates at YVR C32-38 to those at YYC.

[hollywoodcory]

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

Can someone remind me why the dungeon in gates A01-A06 exists? (That's actually what the WS agents called it). Surely with an airport with so many gates we don't have to ground load DH4s in winter.

Don't forget the entire B wing is still closed and will be until Summer 2027, so until then they'll probably still use that stretch for ground loading Q400s.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

Can someone remind me why the dungeon in gates A01-A06 exists? (That's actually what the WS agents called it). Surely with an airport with so many gates we don't have to ground load DH4s in winter.

Up until recently the SF34 service to YXC, YXH and YQL could only be served out of those gates. Even though the service doesn’t exist anymore, it’s still useful for the airport to have accessible ground-loading gates ready in case someone wants to do little plane service.

The gates are still heavily used because of the B concourse closure. But I expect them to be used even when B comes back.

[yyc_engineer]

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

Can someone remind me why the dungeon in gates A01-A06 exists? (That's actually what the WS agents called it). Surely with an airport with so many gates we don't have to ground load DH4s in winter.

The current A01-A06 ground loading gates were meant to be a temporary solution. WestJet Encore was announced in late 2012 and YYC did not have enough gates for the number of aircraft Encore was projecting to put in service. It was actually quite a scramble at the time and this was the most practical solution given time and space constraints.

The plan was to build a more robust ground loading area at the end of B concourse (similar to YVR C32-38) however that would have entailed a significant reconstruction of B and the appetite to do so wasn't there (for a number of reasons too long to list here) after the International Terminal opened in 2016.

[Zmonkey]

Originally Posted by yyc_engineer

The current A01-A06 ground loading gates were meant to be a temporary solution. WestJet Encore was announced in late 2012 and YYC did not have enough gates for the number of aircraft Encore was projecting to put in service. It was actually quite a scramble at the time and this was the most practical solution given time and space constraints.

The plan was to build a more robust ground loading area at the end of B concourse (similar to YVR C32-38) however that would have entailed a significant reconstruction of B and the appetite to do so wasn't there (for a number of reasons too long to list here) after the International Terminal opened in 2016.

They did make it as cheaply as possible; the floor is the actual tarmac for example. It was supposed to be a stopgap while they needed something for Encore and the international terminal was being build.

With no Saab's, when B opens up they will have space to use other gates moving forward one would assume with the need to ground load going down.

[FormerWingTipper]

Due to the fuel crisis?

• I'm thinking some WS transcons to smaller stations will see frequency changes or all out cuts
• WS long haul on new untested routes too like GRU
• EY may not start AUH
• DE could cut back; news keeps saying EU has jet fuel shortages coming, but EC261/2004 comp will be interesting for all EU carriers to see how that works
• AC doesn't have much left to cut
• Flair will be another interesting one to watch

[Zmonkey]

Originally Posted by FormerWingTipper

Due to the fuel crisis?

• I'm thinking some WS transcons to smaller stations will see frequency changes or all out cuts
• WS long haul on new untested routes too like GRU
• EY may not start AUH
• DE could cut back; news keeps saying EU has jet fuel shortages coming, but EC261/2004 comp will be interesting for all EU carriers to see how that works
• AC doesn't have much left to cut
• Flair will be another interesting one to watch

As a FYI, EY is currently hiring locally in Calgary, and people are going through the interview process. They are hiring operations, management, and sales staff. I know one person who was interviwed, who was reached out to and work in industry (on sales side).

[YYCFlier]

Originally Posted by FormerWingTipper

Due to the fuel crisis?

• I'm thinking some WS transcons to smaller stations will see frequency changes or all out cuts
• WS long haul on new untested routes too like GRU
• EY may not start AUH
• DE could cut back; news keeps saying EU has jet fuel shortages coming, but EC261/2004 comp will be interesting for all EU carriers to see how that works
• AC doesn't have much left to cut
• Flair will be another interesting one to watch

Supply and demand. If people are willing to pay for the transcons they will stay and higher costs to Europe and avoiding the US will push more Canadians to stay domestic. I don't think those routes are under huge pressure.

Flights to Europe are the riskiest; there may be some reduction of frequencies. GRU is far enough away they won't be worried yet. EY was already a bit of a surprise so who knows?

[hehehe]

Looks like EY has pushed forward the start date for YYC to October 25?

[hollywoodcory]

EY has pushed forward the start twice now, initially 3 days earlier, and now a week earlier.

Updated upcoming route launches:

May 15: WS YBL
June 12: WS YAM
June 17: PD YHU
June 19: WS YYB
August 6: AA JFK
October 25: EY AUH
November 8: WS GRU
December 10: AC PVR
December 11: AC CUN
December 20: PD PHX

This week 3 more long haul destinations returned with DUB, BCN, and MUC. EDI, KEF, ZRH and Condor all resume later this month.

[trofirhen]

Although I'm a Vancouverite, proud of YVR, I have to salute Calgary. YYC, and Westjet. Calgary is overtaking Vancouver in market cap and other criteria, even though it is only half the population size of Vancouver.

Westjet has a YYC hub that is solid and covers nearly 5 continents. My one wish is that Westjet make focus on YVR, giving us perhaps a South American route, like GRU or BOG.

In any case, hats off to Calgary, and YYC and Westjet!! Yee-haw !!!

oh, and I forgot to mention Abu Dhabi on ETIHAD. Way to go !!!

[Johnny Aussie]

KL continuing A330s over winter with their last update

https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/260520-klnw26inc

Amsterdam – Calgary 1 daily 777-200ER/787-10 replaced by following
25OCT26 – 01DEC26 5 weekly A330-300 / 2 weekly A330-200
eff 02DEC26 1 daily A330-300

All non-WS Europe flights will be on A330s with AC’s daily LHR 333 continuing and Discover’s 6 weekly FRA flights also on A330