Canadian Airport Thread

[casper]

Originally Posted by whatnext

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.

Maybe the draw is the other way. People in Quebec City wanting to travel to Vancouver or connecting onward to California.

[nname]

Originally Posted by casper

Maybe the draw is the other way. People in Quebec City wanting to travel to Vancouver or connecting onward to California.

Or connect through Vancouver to SYD/BNE/BKK/AKL, and in S24, to SIN.

Without the flight, all these trips will need 2 connections.

[LeftCoaster]

I'd assume skiing also plays a factor, Quebecers do like to hit the slopes.

And despite the lower flows than exist in English speaking Canada, I'm sure there is an element of VFR and business links to this flight as well.

I wouldn't mind a nice little visit to Carnaval too!

[someone123]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

And despite the lower flows than exist in English speaking Canada, I'm sure there is an element of VFR and business links to this flight as well.

It is a bit strange how there were direct flights between Quebec City and Vancouver for a long time but not Halifax to Vancouver. YUL is about a 2.5 hour drive while the Maritimes have no direct flights at all. YHZ gets 2-3x as many passengers as YQB.

There are now some direct flights between YVR and YHZ and I'd guess there will be more as both cities grow.

[q12]

Originally Posted by someone123

It is a bit strange how there were direct flights between Quebec City and Vancouver for a long time but not Halifax to Vancouver. YUL is about a 2.5 hour drive while the Maritimes have no direct flights at all. YHZ gets 2-3x as many passengers as YQB.

There are now some direct flights between YVR and YHZ and I'd guess there will be more as both cities grow.

Starting this Friday through to September 4th Air Canada will have 2x daily non-stop service between Halifax and Vancouver everyday, with one of the two flights (with the exception of Saturday) will be operated with a nearly 300 seat Boeing 787-9 with Fully lie-flat beds in business class. This is an upgrade from current schedule of 2x daily on a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

This would currently be the longest domestic flight in Canada at 2750 miles. For reference Air Canada's Trans-Atlantic flight between Halifax and London Heathrow is 2847 miles.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

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.

Speaking of,

AC upping frequency on both YUL/YYZ to FCO for S24.

As per someone on airliners.net:

Air Canada seems to further expand service to Rome in S24 by adding new frequencies to both Montreal and Toronto.
As per the latest schedule update on AC.com YUL is increased to 9xw (vs 8xw in S23, 7xw in S19) while YYZ to 12xw (vs 10xw in S23, 7xw in S19) for an overall capacity of 21xw to FCO.

Montreal
AC904 YUL 1735 0730(+1) FCO [--3--6-] 788
AC892 YUL 1935 0935(+1) FCO [1234567] 77W

AC905 FCO 0915 1200 YUL [---4--7] 788
AC893 FCO 1325 1615 YUL [1234567] 77W

Toronto
AC906 YYZ 1710 0730(+1) FCO [12-45-7] 788
AC890 YYZ 2050 1115(+1) FCO [1234567] 77W

AC907 FCO 0915 1240 YYZ [123-56-] 788
AC891 FCO 1430 1800 YYZ [1234567] 77W

[nname]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Speaking of,

AC upping frequency on both YUL/YYZ to FCO for S24.

As per someone on airliners.net:

These are in the base S24 schedule that was published almost 2 months ago, not recent change. There are actually quite a few increases/decrease like that (likely from AC making changes to S23 but not applying the same change to S24). Normally I wouldn't mention these flight from the base schedule until they survive through the first round of cuts

If I remember correctly, that was the initial plan for S23, but trimmed back rather quickly. Likely because they don't have the plane to run that schedule.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by q12

Starting this Friday through to September 4th Air Canada will have 2x daily non-stop service between Halifax and Vancouver everyday, with one of the two flights (with the exception of Saturday) will be operated with a nearly 300 seat Boeing 787-9 with Fully lie-flat beds in business class. This is an upgrade from current schedule of 2x daily on a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

I noticed this but it's still only seasonal. WestJet started a similar seasonal direct service a number of years ago.

It's a lot faster just to fly to Europe directly from YVR but stopping in YHZ works decently in some ways. It's 4 hours of jetlag at each stop and the 6 hour flight from Halifax to London can be done at a reasonable time during the day (11 am to 9 pm).

[nname]

Originally Posted by someone123

I noticed this but it's still only seasonal. WestJet started a similar seasonal direct service a number of years ago.

It's a lot faster just to fly to Europe directly from YVR but stopping in YHZ works decently in some ways. It's 4 hours of jetlag at each stop and the 6 hour flight from Halifax to London can be done at a reasonable time during the day (11 am to 9 pm).

YVR-YHZ is year-round on AC since last winter.

Last winter it was 2x weekly during winter. The upcoming winter will be 4x weekly.

[nname]

AC adds YUL-MAD for next summer, 5x weekly 333
AC834/835

So mystery from last Friday solved. AC had gone through all the troubles for moving flights from 834->826->804->918 just so they can put YUL-MAD to 834. And that's not even close to the YYZ-MAD flight number

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by someone123

It is a bit strange how there were direct flights between Quebec City and Vancouver for a long time but not Halifax to Vancouver. YUL is about a 2.5 hour drive while the Maritimes have no direct flights at all. YHZ gets 2-3x as many passengers as YQB.

There are now some direct flights between YVR and YHZ and I'd guess there will be more as both cities grow.

?

YQB-YVR started in May 2022. By contrast, WS has been serving seasonal YVR-YHZ for quite a while now. So the only thing strange is that you think its the other way around....

Originally Posted by nname

AC adds YUL-MAD for next summer, 5x weekly 333
AC834/835

So mystery from last Friday solved. AC had gone through all the troubles for moving flights from 834->826->804->918 just so they can put YUL-MAD to 834. And that's not even close to the YYZ-MAD flight number

Originally Posted by nname

These are in the base S24 schedule that was published almost 2 months ago, not recent change. There are actually quite a few increases/decrease like that (likely from AC making changes to S23 but not applying the same change to S24). Normally I wouldn't mention these flight from the base schedule until they survive through the first round of cuts

If I remember correctly, that was the initial plan for S23, but trimmed back rather quickly. Likely because they don't have the plane to run that schedule.

Something tells me the increase will stick come S24.

[nname]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

?

YQB-YVR started in May 2022. By contrast, WS has been serving seasonal YVR-YHZ for quite a while now. So the only thing strange is that you think its the other way around....

YVR-YQB was started by TS in June 2021 (1x weekly), then AC started it in 2022 and become year-round by in 2023.
YVR-YHZ was started by WS in June 2018 (4x weekly), then AC started the year-round route in 2022.

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by nname

YVR-YQB was started by TS in June 2021 (1x weekly), then AC started it in 2022 and become year-round by in 2023.
YVR-YHZ was started by WS in June 2018 (4x weekly), then AC started the year-round route in 2022.

Didn't really think TS was worth mentioning, since it lasted one summer season, was launched late (august 2021 I believe, not June) and was only 1x weekly, as you said, so roughly 12 flights each way for the season, give or take, assuming the flights operated until end of October, which is doubtful.

Hardly worth mentioning.

The point remains, YHZ-YVR was served 4 years ahead of any meaningful YQB-YVR service.

[samuelx88]

With the suspension of FRA-YXY next year, is there any chances that Condor will start FRA-YQB 1x weekly instead?

[someone123]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

YQB-YVR started in May 2022. By contrast, WS has been serving seasonal YVR-YHZ for quite a while now. So the only thing strange is that you think its the other way around....

Okay. I must be mistaken then. I remember looking for flights out of YVR and seeing the YQB option but not YHZ. Maybe it was the timing.

[Pellimo]

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

?

YQB-YVR started in May 2022. By contrast, WS has been serving seasonal YVR-YHZ for quite a while now. So the only thing strange is that you think its the other way around....






Something tells me the increase will stick come S24.

Today a was talking with my travel agent and He said to me that the YQB-YVR are going really well

[thenoflyzone]

Originally Posted by samuelx88

With the suspension of FRA-YXY next year, is there any chances that Condor will start FRA-YQB 1x weekly instead?

Slim to none, I think, and that's irrespective of DE operating YXY or not.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by whatnext

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.

It's all the connections beyond YVR that is the key. YQB is finally starting to get connected within Canada. It wasn't that long ago that YQB's only non-intra-Quebec domestic flights were to YOW, YYZ and YWK.

[Dominion301]

Originally Posted by nname

These are in the base S24 schedule that was published almost 2 months ago, not recent change. There are actually quite a few increases/decrease like that (likely from AC making changes to S23 but not applying the same change to S24). Normally I wouldn't mention these flight from the base schedule until they survive through the first round of cuts

If I remember correctly, that was the initial plan for S23, but trimmed back rather quickly. Likely because they don't have the plane to run that schedule.

Would you happen to have that handy like you did last time in the .txt file?

[casper]

Originally Posted by Pellimo

Today a was talking with my travel agent and He said to me that the YQB-YVR are going really well

I don't know how typical it was. Last month I was on the AC 787 service from YVR to YOW. There was an hour delay after closing the door. Something about another aircraft having a broken tow bar that was blocking us from pushing back.

Anyway enroute to YOW the crew announced there were 45 people on the flight connecting onto the YOW-YQB flight, not to worry they would sort things out. The YOW-YQB flight turned out to also be late.

There is traffic on that route. I was surprised Ottawa had significant connecting traffic with Air Canada. But it did.