Canadian Airport Thread

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

That's a very good guess. Can't confirm nor deny, however, until it happens, or doesn't.

Also, upon further review, its actually 4 foreign carriers.

All narrowbodies. 2 destinations already served, 2 unserved.

As for guesses, how about Viva Aerobus to somewhere in Mexico.

[JakeLRS]

Westjet to integrate Sunwing into mainline, reconfigure aircraft

https://news.paxeditions.com/news/airlin...mainline-reconfigure-aircraft-memo-shows

Michael Pihach, 06-16-2023

“One week after The WestJet Group confirmed that it will integrate its budget carrier Swoop into its mainline, the company is now taking steps to do the same thing to its newly-acquired brand, Sunwing Airlines.

PAX has obtained a screen shot of an internal memo that was sent to Sunwing employees on June 14 stating that Sunwing Airlines will, indeed, be absorbed into WestJet in a similar fashion to Swoop.

“This is a long-term move that will unlock greater scale and growth opportunities for our people, and specifically for our airline employees within the Group,” the memo reads...”

[nname]

AC change some European flight numbers in tonight's update, and I have no idea of what they are planning with this...

YUL-DUB 802->916
YVR-DUB 804->918
YUL-CPH 826->804
YYZ-BRU 834->826
YYZ-FCO 888->906 (2nd flight)

YUL-AMS is not in the schedule

So any one know what are they doing? Maybe they plan to use XLR for the DUB flights (as well as MAN and KEF which are also in the 900s)? Moving the FCO flight to make way for YVR-FCO or YUL-VIE?

What about BRU and CPH that are now far apart after the move.. maybe they'll move the other BRU/CPH flights as well and make way for a lot more German flights?

But where will AC find the plane for all these? AFAIK the XLR will not be flying to Europe until at least S25.

[thenoflyzone]

^ who knows. Can't keep track anymore.

I assume these changes are for S24.

Like i said a couple of weeks ago, its silly that AC went through all that trouble to reorganize its international flight numbers a couple of years ago, and now they're messing around with it.

Doesn't surprise me that YUL-AMS isn't there yet. They announced the route pretty close to the start date, which tells me they secured the slots from someone else fairly late in the game, and it's probably not sure they will be able to do it again for S24, especially when the Dutch authorities want to cut the number of movements at AMS. So a lot of uncertainties around AMS at the moment.

[hollywoodcory]

Speaking of AMS, it doesn't sound like WS will be returning to AMS this winter. They gave a brief preview of the 787 winter flying and only LHR / CDG were mentioned.

Additionally it still sounds like YYZ & YVR will both still see 787 service to Mexico too.

[Djeffery]

Shortly after the Swoop announcement, now WestJet is planning to integrate Sunwing into the mainline

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/westjet-sunwing-airlines-1.6880320

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Shortly after the Swoop announcement, now WestJet is planning to integrate Sunwing into the mainline

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/westjet-sunwing-airlines-1.6880320

In one fell swoop (pun not intended), Westjet undoes the whole branding scheme.

Swoop's end I get as a concession to the pilots. With the purchase of Sunwing, it made no sense to have the duplication on sun routes. It cedes the ULCC market to Flair.

Sunwing's integtation confuses me a bit, unless the goal is to soak up scarce pilots into mainline and just have one less competitor in the sun vacation market.

One might figure that Westjet would push things the opposite way and fold Westjet Vacations into Sunwing. That would leave Westjet to a more continental North America focus, but the powers that be decided in the opposite way.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by nname

AC change some European flight numbers in tonight's update, and I have no idea of what they are planning with this...

YUL-DUB 802->916
YVR-DUB 804->918
YUL-CPH 826->804
YYZ-BRU 834->826
YYZ-FCO 888->906 (2nd flight)

YUL-AMS is not in the schedule

So any one know what are they doing? Maybe they plan to use XLR for the DUB flights (as well as MAN and KEF which are also in the 900s)? Moving the FCO flight to make way for YVR-FCO or YUL-VIE?

What about BRU and CPH that are now far apart after the move.. maybe they'll move the other BRU/CPH flights as well and make way for a lot more German flights?

But where will AC find the plane for all these? AFAIK the XLR will not be flying to Europe until at least S25.

So freeing up YOW-LHR’s traditional flight number 888 again which clearly doesn’t seem to be returning until the XLR arrives. I don’t think 900 series flight numbers will be XLR exclusively in the future, nor 800s exclusively widebody. Neither is true at present as things stand.

Originally Posted by thewave46

In one fell swoop (pun not intended), Westjet undoes the whole branding scheme.

Swoop's end I get as a concession to the pilots. With the purchase of Sunwing, it made no sense to have the duplication on sun routes. It cedes the ULCC market to Flair.

Sunwing's integtation confuses me a bit, unless the goal is to soak up scarce pilots into mainline and just have one less competitor in the sun vacation market.

One might figure that Westjet would push things the opposite way and fold Westjet Vacations into Sunwing. That would leave Westjet to a more continental North America focus, but the powers that be decided in the opposite way.

If they do so, they’ll trash everything WG has built up over the years in Quebec, not to mention other eastern Canada markets where they’re the dominant sun carrier like YOW. However, if what the article states that the Sunwing Vacations tour operator brand remains, it’ll probably largely negate the effect of a single jet AOC.

[hollywoodcory]

I believe it’s only the airline that’s being absorbed into WS. The tour operator arm will remain a separate brand.

[Pellimo]

Air Canada will continue its connection between YQB and YVR with a frequency of 3 flights a week all winter long!

And that's not all! Winter season flights will be on an Air Canada mainline aircraft for optimum comfort.

https://www.facebook.com/yqbaeroport

[casper]

Originally Posted by Dominion301

So freeing up YOW-LHR’s traditional flight number 888 again which clearly doesn’t seem to be returning until the XLR arrives. I don’t think 900 series flight numbers will be XLR exclusively in the future, nor 800s exclusively widebody. Neither is true at present as things stand.



If they do so, they’ll trash everything WG has built up over the years in Quebec, not to mention other eastern Canada markets where they’re the dominant sun carrier like YOW. However, if what the article states that the Sunwing Vacations tour operator brand remains, it’ll probably largely negate the effect of a single jet AOC.

One of the condition of the merge were they had to retain Sunwing Vacation as a sperate interest based in Toronto and Montreal. However they just stop operating their own aircraft. Instead they will charter or buy tickets from WestJet.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by nname

So any one know what are they doing? Maybe they plan to use XLR for the DUB flights (as well as MAN and KEF which are also in the 900s)? Moving the FCO flight to make way for YVR-FCO or YUL-VIE?

Podcast with Mark Galardo, EVP of Network planning at AC.

https://airlineweekly.com/podcast/

Per that podcast, the Mediterranean coast (BCN, NCE, VCE, FCO, ATH) is seeing tremendous demand at the moment, even surpassing pre-COVID demand. Lisbon was mentioned as well. AC can't seem to put enough capacity in those markets. More frequency from YYZ/YUL to those markets, or a new YVR-Mediterranean run could very well be in the cards for S24. I can see YUL-AMS being cut for more ATH/FCO or BCN.

[Alexcaban]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Shortly after the Swoop announcement, now WestJet is planning to integrate Sunwing into the mainline

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/westjet-sunwing-airlines-1.6880320

Whats gonna happen to their YUL market?
Sunwing has major operations from Montreal, and I doubt Westjet plans on opening a base after just reducing flights out of YUL.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Alexcaban

Whats gonna happen to their YUL market?
Sunwing has major operations from Montreal, and I doubt Westjet plans on opening a base after just reducing flights out of YUL.

WestJet group already has a base in YUL. Just happens that the pilots from that base are flying aircraft with "sunwing" branding on them.

Sunwing is going to continue to sell vacation packages out of Montreal. I would expect they continue to keep that base.

[Zmonkey]

Originally Posted by casper

WestJet group already has a base in YUL. Just happens that the pilots from that base are flying aircraft with "sunwing" branding on them.

Sunwing is going to continue to sell vacation packages out of Montreal. I would expect they continue to keep that base.

It may also give them an opportunity to grow the Montreal base, especially on the leisure NA travel. They will have French speaking staff both at airports and that can work planes.
WestJet has a lot of Max's on order. It can fly YUL-paris/london and go after the leisure market.

WestJet will likely try something out of Montreal after Sunwing is incorporated. Too big of a Sunwing Market to ignore.

[MonctonRad]

SunWing is also a large leisure operator in Atlantic Canada too, especially Halifax and Moncton

[Zmonkey]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

SunWing is also a large leisure operator in Atlantic Canada too, especially Halifax and Moncton

I think this is how Westjet gets back to growth out east. Cheap seats from Atlantic region & Quebec to leisure spots. With Westjet they can now have fully connections on the network too.

WestJet - Air France code share, so can help with connections in Montreal in the winter when demand softens. Quebec city is also a fairly large Sunwing Winter market, I doubt they want to concede it all to Air Transat.

[hehehe]

Originally Posted by Zmonkey

I think this is how Westjet gets back to growth out east. Cheap seats from Atlantic region & Quebec to leisure spots. With Westjet they can now have fully connections on the network too.

WestJet - Air France code share, so can help with connections in Montreal in the winter when demand softens. Quebec city is also a fairly large Sunwing Winter market, I doubt they want to concede it all to Air Transat.

This fits very well with their overall strategy as well. Although I wonder what happens to the WG pilot bases at YUL,YQB etc.

[peytol]

Originally Posted by Zmonkey

I think this is how Westjet gets back to growth out east. Cheap seats from Atlantic region & Quebec to leisure spots. With Westjet they can now have fully connections on the network too.

WestJet - Air France code share, so can help with connections in Montreal in the winter when demand softens. Quebec city is also a fairly large Sunwing Winter market, I doubt they want to concede it all to Air Transat.

It will be interesting to see what they plan, bringing back some domestic flying has the advantage of selling packages longer than 7 days out of some of the smaller markets like YQM, moving crews into place and rotating planes out for maintenance. Once a week flights to the south out of small markets are not efficient, Westjet could at least attempt to sell some domestic flights, where Sunwing may have just positioned the plane empty. You certainly see lots of Sunwing crews Deadheading around on other airlines in the winter.

I personally would bet Sunwing will be fully integrated for fall 2024, there really is a lot to be gained by this merger, for Westjet and Sunwing vacations. The Max 10 order probably plays into this too, if they couldn't make money out of YUL with full 800s, maybe a full -10 in combo with Sunwing vacations will do quite well. Could even see some YUL-FLL/MCO flights back as filler to maximize utilization.

Should be interesting to see it unfold over the next couple years.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Pellimo

Air Canada will continue its connection between YQB and YVR with a frequency of 3 flights a week all winter long!

And that's not all! Winter season flights will be on an Air Canada mainline aircraft for optimum comfort.

https://www.facebook.com/yqbaeroport

I like Quebec City but one has to ask "why?" It isn't much of a winter draw for Vancouverites. And with a pilot shortage you think they could be better deployed elsewhere.