YVR Airport & Sea Island Developments Discussion

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by nname

I mean, even LAX doesn't have a direct non-stop to Africa yet...

Actually, LAX had non stop service to Africa from December 2018 until very recently, when Ethiopian canceled their LAX service.

Briefly, they were a 6 continent airport.

https://onemileatatime.com/lax-nonstop-flight-africa/

[thenoflyzone]

What’s with the radio silence the last few days?

Anyways....CA is rumoured to want to launch BOG. A non stop is impossible.

Dare I say PEK-YVR-BOG maybe?

A long shot, but considering this is CA and they fly weird fifth freedom routes such as YUL-HAV and IAH-PTY, it could very well happen.

Incidentally, IAH or YUL could also get it, if the stop will be in North America that is.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

What’s with the radio silence the last few days?

Anyways....CA is rumoured to want to launch BOG. A non stop is impossible.

Dare I say PEK-YVR-BOG maybe?

A long shot, but considering this is CA and they fly weird fifth freedom routes such as YUL-HAV and IAH-PTY, it could very well happen.

Incidentally, IAH or YUL could also get it, if the stop will be in North America that is.

What is the attraction of Bogotà, I wonder? Are there not more economically important cities in South America?
Also, I would have though that the relatively thin atmosphere due to the high altitude at Bogotà would make takeoff and landing a bit more difficult... oh well, if that's what they want...

[Hourglass]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

What is the attraction of Bogotà, I wonder? Are there not more economically important cities in South America?
Also, I would have though that the relatively thin atmosphere due to the high altitude at Bogotà would make takeoff and landing a bit more difficult... oh well, if that's what they want...

China is Colombia's second-largest trading partner after the US. Colombia is China's 5th largest trading partner in Latin America. So there's both an economic and geopolitical rationale for the flight. Highly doubt it would ever be profitable for CA, but that's not the primary consideration.

YVR or YUL would actually be logical stopover points. CA won't fly via any US gateway given the current tensions. Other option is via Europe but no idea about what the China-EU air agreements allow.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Hourglass

China is Colombia's second-largest trading partner after the US. Colombia is China's 5th largest trading partner in Latin America. So there's both an economic and geopolitical rationale for the flight. Highly doubt it would ever be profitable for CA, but that's not the primary consideration.

YVR or YUL would actually be logical stopover points. CA won't fly via any US gateway given the current tensions. Other option is via Europe but no idea about what the China-EU air agreements allow.

Whew!! A new day, something new to learn!! But what are the traded commodities, I can't help wondering? .....
Anyway, this would be a big and significant addition if it were to go through YVR, as a breakthrough destination to South America, if LIMA fails.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

What’s with the radio silence the last few days?

Anyways....CA is rumoured to want to launch BOG. A non stop is impossible.

Dare I say PEK-YVR-BOG maybe?

A long shot, but considering this is CA and they fly weird fifth freedom routes such as YUL-HAV and IAH-PTY, it could very well happen.

Incidentally, IAH or YUL could also get it, if the stop will be in North America that is.

Colombian president was in China on a trip so that rumour might just be pie in the sky BS (the Colombian side called it a direct flight from Shanghai)

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

Colombian president was in China on a trip so that rumour might just be pie in the sky BS (the Colombian side called it a direct flight from Shanghai)

PEK or PVG. Service is supposed to start in 2020.

https://blueswandaily.com/air-china-to-launch-service-to-bogota-in-2020-report/

[nname]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

PEK or PVG. Service is supposed to start in 2020.

https://blueswandaily.com/air-china-to-launch-service-to-bogota-in-2020-report/

I haven't seen anything on the Chinese side... Usually when new service starts, rumors begin circulating maybe a couple of years before the actual announcement. This included XMN-YVR, SZX-YVR, CAN-YVR-MEX, and CGO-YVR (the latter one I disregarded completely at that time, as I thought it was a long long long shot).

The current rumors are WUH-YYZ, WUH-YVR, XIY-???-YVR.... if bilateral allows extra frequency.

[trofirhen]

Just looking at the posts above, it underscores the well-known fact that YVR is a major hub for East Asia destinations.
Craig Richmond said, several times at several VBoT meetings and elsewhere, that he envisioned YVR as a major connecting hub between Asia and Latin America.
The flights to Asia are undeniably there, but the second half of the equation - and the one that would catapult YVR into an different league is not, and that's the Latin America flights.
It seemed a fantastic, feasible, and grand idea, but so far, there really hasn't been any progress made any further than Mexico City with China Southern.
I certainly hope that at least in part, Mr. Richmonds expectations in the domain of connecting hub will be made manifest, but it seems unlikely at the moment. Could this change?

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by Hourglass

.

CA won't fly via any US gateway given the current tensions.

Not so sure about that. It’s not like the tension between Canada and China is much lower. IAH, IAD, EWR are all plausible stopovers points also. IAD is the closest stopover point to the great circle route between PEK and BOG.

Not to mention, CA is canceling PEK-HNL, which means they can open up a new US destination next summer. ATL and MCO are the largest unserved markets from PEK to North America. A continuation from those two to BOG could also be in the works.

Fun fact: third largest unserved market from PEK to North America is YOW.

[Johnny Aussie]

Originally Posted by nname

I haven't seen anything on the Chinese side... Usually when new service starts, rumors begin circulating maybe a couple of years before the actual announcement. This included XMN-YVR, SZX-YVR, CAN-YVR-MEX, and CGO-YVR (the latter one I disregarded completely at that time, as I thought it was a long long long shot).

The current rumors are WUH-YYZ, WUH-YVR, XIY-???-YVR.... if bilateral allows extra frequency.

There may be some frequencies opening up soon.

I think XIY has been on the cards for quite awhile.

LH to MUC going to be commencing a month earlier next year as well.

[nname]

AC is currently updating secondary Mexico and Hawaii service through the peak holiday season till Jan 8.

All the Hawaii routes updated so far had been switched to mainline 767, all Mexico routes switch to a mix of 319 and 320. Some routes with delayed start for seasonal service.

[EDIT] Updated for KOA and CUN

For YVR service:

HNL - daily 767
OGG - daily 767
KOA - 2x weekly Rouge 767, move to morning flight
LIH - suspended

CUN - 3x weekly Rouge 767
SJD - up to 6x weekly 319/320, with delayed/slower ramp up
PVR - up to daily 319/320, with delayed/slower ramp up
ZIH - up to 3x weekly 319/320, with delayed/slower ramp up

Note that for the ZIH case, the frequency will start with as low as every other weeks at the beginning of the season

The Rouge will operate out of YYZ, 5x weekly early morning to YVR and red-eye back to YYZ.

[SpongeG]

Hong Kong protests cancel over 100 flights
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports from the scene of one of the protests at the Hong Kong airport where Cathay Pacific was forced to cancel more that 100 flights.

video report: https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2019...irline-flights-canceled-lu-stout-sot.cnn

Cathay Pacific Warns of Effects of Hong Kong Protests
by Jennifer Meszaros - August 7, 2019

Hong Kong came to a virtual standstill on Monday as widespread demonstrations swept across the city, forcing Cathay to cancel more than 150 flights. The airline, which serves nearly 200 cities around the globe, also urged customers not to fly on Tuesday. According to the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, more than 2,300 aviation employees joined Monday’s general citywide strike, including 1,200 Cathay Pacific cabin crew and pilots.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/...pacific-warns-effects-hong-kong-protests


Transport
Fall in ticket sales for coming months overshadows Cathay Pacific’s return to profits as Hong Kong protests begin to have effect on business
Medium-term bookings down but airline’s chairman John Slosar confident performance can continue to improve for rest of year
Drop in sales mainly from economy class travellers but is still putting pressure on ticket prices

Danny Lee

Published: 12:37pm, 7 Aug, 2019

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/tran...nnounces-profits-hk135-billion-first-six

[stiffdeadman]

lufthansa starting munich to seattle service jun 1, 2020. 6 times a week (ex thursday) using brand new A350-900. so another european destination that yvr has checked off the list of commonality.

[TheGreatestX]

WestJet Link starting Vancouver to Cranbrook on October 27.

http://westjet.mediaroom.com/2019-08-12-WestJet-Link-giving-Cranbrook-another-hub-option

[Johnny Aussie]

The Saab is a perfect sized aircraft for some of the interior routes. Next up YKA and YYF probably.

[Denscity]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

The Saab is a perfect sized aircraft for some of the interior routes. Next up YKA and YYF probably.

I wonder if YCG will see Westjet Link ever? And will it continue to be the only airport in BC that has the Dash-8 300s instead of the Q400 like everyone else got switched over to?

[casper]

Originally Posted by TheGreatestX

WestJet Link starting Vancouver to Cranbrook on October 27.

http://westjet.mediaroom.com/2019-08-12-WestJet-Link-giving-Cranbrook-another-hub-option

The Link aircraft appears to be in a WestJet paint job. The aircraft has a total utilization of about 4 hours. I wonder if its is doing something in the morning or potentially overprinting somewhere.

[Rogie]

Originally Posted by Johnny Aussie

The Saab is a perfect sized aircraft for some of the interior routes. Next up YKA and YYF probably.

I'd bet that you're right.

Link is a Pacific Coastal capacity purchase agreement, with a WS livery.

Pacific Coastal will continue to operate its own aircraft out of the South Terminal on the same route (twice each weekday), so in a sense, it will be competing with itself.

[TheGreatestX]

Originally Posted by casper

The Link aircraft appears to be in a WestJet paint job. The aircraft has a total utilization of about 4 hours. I wonder if its is doing something in the morning or potentially overprinting somewhere.

It's operating as YYC-YXC-YVR-YXC-YYC, the times on the press release are backwards.