Canadian Airport Thread II

[whatnext]

WS might be cancelling a lot of flights if they don’t reach a contract with their cabin crew:

WestJet flight attendants could strike this weekend. What does that mean for travellers?
By Spencer Van Dyk
Updated: July 28, 2026 at 6:10PM EDT

OTTAWA — Thousands of WestJet flight attendants could walk off the job as early as this Sunday, after they “overwhelmingly” voted in favour of strike action earlier this month, potentially grounding the airline over the August long weekend.

WestJet has a fleet of nearly 200 aircraft, providing service to more than 30 countries and more than 30 domestic airports, for more than 700 flights a day.…

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/wh...e-westjet-flight-attendant-strike-looms/

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by Docere

Shouldn't Chicago and Dallas be on the list?

Yes, you’re right. ATL as well. (These 3 were at the top of the list on the ACI source I provided - since they are the busiest airports in NA - but somehow I couldn’t see them with my laptop. I can see them fine with my phone.)

Either way, all three are below YUL’s international passenger numbers:

ATL 14.9 M
ORD 14.8M
DFW 12.6M

So if we slot them in…..

1. JFK 34.5 M
2. YYZ 30.1 M
3. MIA 24.8 M
4. LAX 22.8 M
5. SFO 15.9 M
6. YUL 15.6 M
7. EWR 15.4 M
8. ATL 14.9 M
9. ORD 14.8 M
10. YVR 13.6 M
11. DFW 12.6M
12. IAH 12.4M
13. IAD 10.5 M
14. BOS 10 M

[davidivivid]

YQB's monthly pax numbers have finally been updated.

2026 2026/2025
January 169 120 9,0 %
February 148 708 3,4 %
March 160 222 -1,0 %
April 145 301 1,3 %
May 133 156 21,7 %
June 150 053 13,2 %

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by davidivivid

YQB's monthly pax numbers have finally been updated.

2026 2026/2025
January 169 120 9,0 %
February 148 708 3,4 %
March 160 222 -1,0 %
April 145 301 1,3 %
May 133 156 21,7 %
June 150 053 13,2 %

Overall a really good start to the year for YQB. TS probably has a lot to do with growth. Is 2 million pax this year within reach?

Speaking of TS, they are taking advantage of the Liquidity for Airline Sector Resilience (LASR) Facility: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/tr...ector-resilience-facility-887333286.html.

The loan has a four-year maturity and will bear interest at an annual rate of 3.91%.

[davidivivid]

Originally Posted by Dominion301

Overall a really good start to the year for YQB. TS probably has a lot to do with growth. Is 2 million pax this year within reach?

It would take a 10% increase yoy to reach that milestone so I don't think we'll get there this year. That being said, it is a strong start so we might be surprised.

[hollywoodcory]

Originally Posted by WayneShuster

I wonder if there any other additions/changes expected for this coming winter season yet to come?

Yes, as the full winter schedule still hasn't been published yet. They still have slack in the 787 schedule too (outside of December-February).

[whatnext]

Sh!t's about to get real (or is it?).

WestJet flight attendants' union serves airline 72-hour strike notice
ByThe Canadian Press
Updated: July 30, 2026 at 12:11PM EDT

CALGARY — Intense bargaining between WestJet and the union representing its flight attendants ratcheted up further on Thursday after CUPE issued a 72-hour strike notice, paving the runway for a possible airline shutdown during the busy summer travel season.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees cancelled a news conference in Calgary on Thursday morning, saying it wanted to focus on hammering out a deal.

The union representing 4,400 cabin crew at WestJet said the two sides remain far apart on key issues...

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/com...on-serves-airline-72-hour-strike-notice/

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Sh!t's about to get real (or is it?).

WestJet flight attendants' union serves airline 72-hour strike notice
ByThe Canadian Press
Updated: July 30, 2026 at 12:11PM EDT

CALGARY — Intense bargaining between WestJet and the union representing its flight attendants ratcheted up further on Thursday after CUPE issued a 72-hour strike notice, paving the runway for a possible airline shutdown during the busy summer travel season.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees cancelled a news conference in Calgary on Thursday morning, saying it wanted to focus on hammering out a deal.

The union representing 4,400 cabin crew at WestJet said the two sides remain far apart on key issues...

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/com...on-serves-airline-72-hour-strike-notice/

Will WestJet fold, or are they hoping the Government will intervene?

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Will WestJet fold, or are they hoping the Government will intervene?

Fold? Overstating a bit much I think.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Fold? Overstating a bit much I think.

Not as in go out of business, I meant settle with the union.

[craner]

Are FAs currently paid per flight or with an hourly wage ?

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by craner

Are FAs currently paid per flight or with an hourly wage ?

I think it's an hourly rate but based on a set trip time, not actual time. Which is why this whole unpaid boarding time became a thing. Way back when, the hourly rate factored in that time into the pay rate. From what I was told, the union felt it better to make $40 an hour over 3 hours of flight time rather than $30 an hour over 4 hours of flight and boarding/exit time (I'm just grabbing hourly rates that work in a comparison nicely, not actual rates). Over the decades, hourly pay languished with airline turmoil and the competition from the lower paid LCC and ULCC upstarts. So the union decides now that this whole unpaid work thing is a great PR thing to grab onto and with a workforce who was around when this started largely retired now, the FA's all over the industry are making this a big deal.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Will WestJet fold, or are they hoping the Government will intervene?

The AC strike last summer should be a good lesson for WS. A precedent was set. The government will not intervene, at least not initially. WS will lose millions.

Better to pay up. Giving boarding pay to FA’s isn’t a big deal. Just do it and get it over with.

[Zmonkey]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

The AC strike last summer should be a good lesson for WS. A precedent was set. The government will not intervene, at least not initially. WS will lose millions.

Better to pay up. Giving boarding pay to FA’s isn’t a big deal. Just do it and get it over with.

Boarding pay is in their pay though. They took a hire hourly flight rate since it was assumed that covered boarding pay.

The other option was to take a lower hourly flight pay, but get paid boarding pay too.

Total pay for the 2 options would be very similar.

The airline and the FA's agreed on option one. So when people say there is no pay for boarding, its a little disingenuous since (while being technically true).

[casper]

Originally Posted by Zmonkey

Boarding pay is in their pay though. They took a hire hourly flight rate since it was assumed that covered boarding pay.

The other option was to take a lower hourly flight pay, but get paid boarding pay too.

Total pay for the 2 options would be very similar.

The airline and the FA's agreed on option one. So when people say there is no pay for boarding, its a little disingenuous since (while being technically true).

It is easier to clock people in/out using something that is monitored by the automation such as break release on the aircraft. So I can see why that would be done.

What is interesting is including boarding time is likely to be an advantage for the flight attendants on the shorter flights. I don't know the dynamics of which flight attendants get the overseas routes vrs the domestic ones. One would assume the more senior ones end up on the European flights but I don't know.

[Nouvellecosse]

I think the main issue is that there can be so many delays or incidents that require the plane to be stuck on the ground with passengers on board, which can greatly vary in times. These require the flight attendants to be working (and often more difficult work due to passenger frustration) in some cases for hours at a time. Yet even when these things happen there's no extra compensation. It's fine to say that higher in-flight wages make up for ground time under normal circumstances, but when there's no spacial provisions for special circumstances that's a problem.

[JonToms]

Air Service One Article on Air Canada’s Record 2026 European Capacity

https://airserviceone.com/air-canada-has...-6-new-european-destinations-now-served/

[hollywoodcory]

By this time in their other labour disputes, cancellations had already started.

But considering nothing has been cancelled so far, and updates are slow I suspect it means progress has been made at the table.

[WayneShuster]

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

By this time in their other labour disputes, cancellations had already started.

But considering nothing has been cancelled so far, and updates are slow I suspect it means progress has been made at the table.

CBC is reporting WS beginning to park 737s in anticipation of cancellations but nothing officially cancelled yet.

[hollywoodcory]

Originally Posted by WayneShuster

CBC is reporting WS beginning to park 737s in anticipation of cancellations but nothing officially cancelled yet.

First wave of cancellations are expected this evening. I still think a deal will be made even if it comes tomorrow night avoiding a full work stoppage.