Canadian Airport Thread II - Page 224

whatnext · #**4461** Posted **Apr 27, 2026, 7:26 PM**

Looks like WS flight attendants are getting closer to a strike:

WestJet flight attendants are ‘steps away from any strike position’ as negotiations stall
By Alejandro Melgar

Posted April 27, 2026 10:12 am. Last Updated April 27, 2026 10:21 am.
Over 4,000 WestJet flight attendants are calling the Calgary-based airline back to the table after several months of failing negotiations, a notice Monday says.

In a release, the group representing the mainline flight attendants, CUPE 8125, issued a formal notice of dispute, saying the groups met “multiple times” each month to reach a collective agreement, but nothing tangible has surfaced.

CUPE spokesperson Erin Rolfson says they have met with WestJet four times per week for three weeks a month since September 2025.

They say the biggest issue is that flight attendants are “required to perform” work on average 35 hours each month, unpaid. Accordingly, WestJet’s system for measuring work and compensation is outdated...

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/04/27...dants-notice-dispute-negotiations-stall/

harls · #**4462** Posted **Apr 27, 2026, 7:56 PM**

Summer travel season coming up. Time to turn the screws.

The real winner will be the consumer, as always.

nname · #**4463** Posted **Apr 28, 2026, 12:39 AM**

YVR finally released Feb 2026 stat...

Domestic: 970,295 +6.7%
Transborder: 410,819 -5.8%
- Asia Pacific: 386,165 +15.0%
- Europe: 81,918 -4.2%
- Misc Intl: 134,840 -6.0%
Total Int'l: 1,013,742 +1.3%

Total: 1,984,037 +3.9%
YTD: 4,099,594 +3.7%

https://www.yvr.ca/en/about-yvr/facts-and-stats

whatnext · #**4464** Posted **Apr 28, 2026, 1:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by harls

Summer travel season coming up. Time to turn the screws.

The real winner will be the consumer, as always.

Not really the best time to go after an airline for more wages…

Dominion301 · #**4465** Posted **Apr 28, 2026, 5:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Not really the best time to go after an airline for more wages…

It is though as AC, PD and TS now all have negotiated boarding pay. WS will need to follow suit to remain competitive. It'll probably come down to a typical 11th hour deal.

hollywoodcory · #**4466** Posted **Apr 28, 2026, 5:56 PM**

The timeline would line up for a possible strike notice issued in August - so it's running on the same kind of time frame that the AC FAs had last year.

whatnext · #**4467** Posted **Apr 29, 2026, 7:18 PM**

Will Canada's airports be put up for sale to fund Carney's new sovereign wealth fund?

Canada in ‘early stages’ of talks on whether to privatize airports: minister
By Uday Rana Global News
Posted April 29, 2026

The federal government is in the “early stages” of talks on whether Canada’s airports will be privatized, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters on Wednesday.

When asked if the government was considering privatizing airports and if so, how many, MacKinnon told reporters that the government was talking with airport authorities.

“We’re in the early stages of a process with airport authorities and other partners to determine the best way forward. The ultimate goal, of course, is to improve the passenger experience, to improve the efficiency of our air transport system,” MacKinnon said....

...When asked if money from investment in Canada’s airports will be funneled into Canada’s new sovereign wealth fund, MacKinnon said, “I don’t think that any determination has been made on that front.”...

https://globalnews.ca/news/11822472/cana...-whether-to-privatize-airports-minister/

Zmonkey · #**4468** Posted **Apr 29, 2026, 8:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Will Canada's airports be put up for sale to fund Carney's new sovereign wealth fund?

Canada in ‘early stages’ of talks on whether to privatize airports: minister
By Uday Rana Global News
Posted April 29, 2026

The federal government is in the “early stages” of talks on whether Canada’s airports will be privatized, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told reporters on Wednesday.

When asked if the government was considering privatizing airports and if so, how many, MacKinnon told reporters that the government was talking with airport authorities.

“We’re in the early stages of a process with airport authorities and other partners to determine the best way forward. The ultimate goal, of course, is to improve the passenger experience, to improve the efficiency of our air transport system,” MacKinnon said....

...When asked if money from investment in Canada’s airports will be funneled into Canada’s new sovereign wealth fund, MacKinnon said, “I don’t think that any determination has been made on that front.”...

https://globalnews.ca/news/11822472/cana...-whether-to-privatize-airports-minister/

The land will likley be sold. The airports are private and have been for almost 40 years.

Zmonkey · #**4469** Posted **Apr 29, 2026, 8:45 PM**

Etihad is currently hiring in Calgary for local people (operations, business and sales staff).

whatnext · #**4470** Posted **Apr 29, 2026, 10:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zmonkey

The land will likley be sold. The airports are private and have been for almost 40 years.

Are they? I thought the various airport authorities ran them on behalf of the government.

Zmonkey · #**4471** Posted **Apr 29, 2026, 11:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

Are they? I thought the various airport authorities ran them on behalf of the government.

Sort of. Its a no-share structure. Government owns 0 shares as its a not-for-profit. They allow local councils to run airports, on a renewable lease for 0 dollars (on 40 year terms).

The way they were pushed down is all operations, buildings, facilities, aprons, runways are pushed to be fully privatly operated by the council (GTAA, YYC etc). The government has a board representative, but they are generally run independently and threre is no politics.

The government has no say, no funding, and no input outside of its board seat.

The airport councils pay rent to the government. Government is not involved in short or long term decisions. Some airports (Toronto and Vancouver) have stated for a long time that if they went fully private (ownership, no rent payments) to help fund future projects. Right now Toronto is going to the bond market for their expansion, if they were private, it would be 100% the same project, but they could take on the debt cheaper and have more options.

Calgary has said this would not be non-impactful as they are doing everything a true private airport can do. I am not sure what other airports have said, Quebec city wanted to be fully private but that was pre covid.

The government could tenically end all leases tomorrow, and put them all under federal control and funding. They won't, but part of the agreement they can.

RomanR27 · #**4472** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 10:21 AM**

Porter appears to be announcing next winters new sun destinations, with routes from YYZ, YOW, YHZ, YHM, and launching sun routes from YEG.

YYZ-AUA
YYZ-SJD
YYZ-MBJ
YYZ-SJO

YOW-AUA
YOW-MBJ
YOW-SJD

YHZ-FLL
YHZ-CUN

YHM-MBJ

The routes from YEG are to PVR, PHX, SJD and LAS

Coldrsx · #**4473** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 2:00 PM**

^nice. Love Porter.

Just need them to officially announce YEG-YVR-YLW-YYJ to complete the package.

RomanR27 · #**4474** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 2:13 PM**

Here is the press, YYC-PHX will also be launching: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2...creases-Sun-Capacity-by-Greater-Than-150

I don't see YVR-PHX, so that may have been a one-season wonder (as was YOW-PHX).

fanofYOW · #**4475** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 2:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanR27

Here is the press, YYC-PHX will also be launching: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2...creases-Sun-Capacity-by-Greater-Than-150

I don't see YVR-PHX, so that may have been a one-season wonder (as was YOW-PHX).

Too bad. YOW-PHX operated for 2 months at 3x weekly with barely any feed on either end (AA on the PHX side and PD on the YOW side). That’s not a fair shot. Hopefully it will return when US demand climbs again.

Dominion301 · #**4476** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 6:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanR27

Here is the press, YYC-PHX will also be launching: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2...creases-Sun-Capacity-by-Greater-Than-150

I don't see YVR-PHX, so that may have been a one-season wonder (as was YOW-PHX).

YVR-PHX is returning as per the news release, but YOW-PHX seems to be quietly dropped.

Quote:

In addition, Porter will resume service between Vancouver and Phoenix, and introduce a second daily flight from Toronto.

Good luck with taking on WS in their western stronghold to PHX. YVR-PHX on PD this past winter didn't exactly post strong results. Adding non-American sun routes out west makes sun given WS' near-monopoly on these out of YEG & YYC...but AC are dipping a toe back into this region too.

I'd love to know what kind of war chest PD are still sitting on because they must be burning through > $30 million a month right now with the price of oil.

nname · #**4477** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 7:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominion301

Good luck with taking on WS in their western stronghold to PHX. YVR-PHX on PD this past winter didn't exactly post strong results. Adding non-American sun routes out west makes sun given WS' near-monopoly on these out of YEG & YYC...but AC are dipping a toe back into this region too.

I'd love to know what kind of war chest PD are still sitting on because they must be burning through > $30 million a month right now with the price of oil.

Flair is adding YYC-CUN and YEG-CUN next winter as well, along with YUL-CUN.

hehehe · #**4478** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 8:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominion301

YVR-PHX is returning as per the news release, but YOW-PHX seems to be quietly dropped.

Good luck with taking on WS in their western stronghold to PHX. YVR-PHX on PD this past winter didn't exactly post strong results. Adding non-American sun routes out west makes sun given WS' near-monopoly on these out of YEG & YYC...but AC are dipping a toe back into this region too.

I'd love to know what kind of war chest PD are still sitting on because they must be burning through > $30 million a month right now with the price of oil.

YYC-PHX is a bit crazy to me, as are the YEG adds. If they can't make YOW/YVR-PHX work how are they gonna make YYC/YEG work?

whatnext · #**4479** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 8:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominion301

YVR-PHX is returning as per the news release, but YOW-PHX seems to be quietly dropped.

Good luck with taking on WS in their western stronghold to PHX. YVR-PHX on PD this past winter didn't exactly post strong results. Adding non-American sun routes out west makes sun given WS' near-monopoly on these out of YEG & YYC...but AC are dipping a toe back into this region too.

I'd love to know what kind of war chest PD are still sitting on because they must be burning through > $30 million a month right now with the price of oil.

I'm sure those posting here are already familiar with it but there's a fellow on airliners.net who is very critical of PD's financial performance by piecing together their a/c utilization and loads. A shame because I'd much rather Flair go 🞵🞵🞵🞵 up than Porter but....

Djeffery · #**4480** Posted **Apr 30, 2026, 11:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatnext

I'm sure those posting here are already familiar with it but there's a fellow on airliners.net who is very critical of PD's financial performance by piecing together their a/c utilization and loads. A shame because I'd much rather Flair go 🞵🞵🞵🞵 up than Porter but....

Wonder if it's the same guy I see on Red Flag Deals constantly crapping on Porter. Reminds me of some of the oldtimers on FlyerTalk 20 years ago trying to protect their precious AC SE status and hated having WestJet at the time offering healthy alternatives that made it harder for them to justify to their company bean counters to keep flying AC.