Halifax Stanfield International Airport Developments

[q12]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

I guess they might get almost as much reverse traffic nowadays.

There most definitely will be.

From the Bermuda Royal Gazette

BermudAir service to Halifax set to launch in May

Owain Johnston-Barnes
Updated: Mar 28, 2024 12:58 PM

BermudAir will begin flying to two Canadian cities in May with special rates in place until April 10.

The airline announced that it will start service to Halifax Stanfield International Airport will begin on May 25, with tickets on sale now.

Until April 10, flights from Bermuda to Canada will be available for as little as $199, while the flight from Canada to Bermuda will start at $149, including taxes.

According to the May flight schedule, published by Skyport , the Halifax flights will take place on Saturdays.

“Toronto and Halifax are currently underserved, and this expansion aligns with our mission to provide year-round service, meeting the needs of both Bermudians and travellers from Canada.”

Halifax, recognised for its rich history and strategic importance in the Atlantic region, shares historical, cultural, and commercial connections with Bermuda.

“With direct flights connecting Bermuda with Toronto and Halifax, BermudAir effectively meets the demand that locals and visitors have been seeking.

https://www.royalgazette.com/tourism...launch-in-may/

[MonctonRad]

historical, cultural, and commercial connections with Bermuda.

Indeed.

Amongst other things, The Methodist Church in Bermuda is affiliated with the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada. There are historic affiliations to Mount Allison University in Sackville NB (probably through the United Church). Bermuda used to send students to Dalhousie University for medical school (including one of my classmates). There are naval connections, with the RCN operating out of the naval base down there. There are many other connections i'm sure that I am not aware of (or have forgotten).

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Oh, Bermuda is quite interesting. The knocks against it are that it is quite small (21 square miles), and, it is an expensive vacation destination. This didn't bother my mother and myself at the time because we were staying with my sister and brother in law. Accommodations were free.

The flight might cost less than the ground transportation from BDA to your hotel.

[egb]

Some competition on the Boston route would be nice. Last time I checked, all the different airlines flying into New York had a nice effect on prices. I don’t know if there would be demand but I’ve always wished there was a flight to Quebec City.

If they are talking about Halifax as a hub presumably they have some thoughts about inter maritime connectivity but I’ve always assumed those flights are gone for good.

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

This is nothing but good news. Would love to see direct flights to points west and to some US destinations - Chicago comes immediately to mind.

All my experiences on Porter so far have been positive, and though I wish they'd gone with the CSeries (it just grinds my gears to call it an A220) as originally planned, I find the E195-E2 very comfortable. And though Porter doesn't bill itself as a discount airline, my recent flights have all worked out to be cheaper than the AC or WestJet alternatives.

I just love Porter. Let's hope it ages well.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by egb

Some competition on the Boston route would be nice.

You're in luck. American starts YHZ-BOS on 5 June.

Last time I checked, all the different airlines flying into New York had a nice effect on prices. I don’t know if there would be demand but I’ve always wished there was a flight to Quebec City.

Flair did operate YHZ-YQB last summer. Not sure how the demand was, but they haven't announced any intention to run it this year. And though they're putting a happy face on things, Flair's continued existence is not assured. It's very much on the watch list

If they are talking about Halifax as a hub presumably they have some thoughts about inter maritime connectivity but I’ve always assumed those flights are gone for good.

I wouldn't assume that. The problem has been logistical, involving availability of pilots and aircraft post-pandemic. Those things seem to be sorting themselves out slowly. If demand is there, I imagine the vacuum will be filled eventually.

[q12]

Halifax's seasonal Transatlantic Summer 2024 starts today (April 28) with Discover's Frankfurt A330 service and Westjet's London Gatwick 737 service resuming service.

Air Canada, Westjet and Discover Airlines all flying to Europe today from YHZ.

Frankfurt, Germany

Discover Airlines YHZ-Frankfurt 5x weekly A330 Resumes April 28
Condor Airlines YHZ-Frankfurt 4x weekly A330 Resumes May 18

London, UK
Air Canada YHZ-London Heathrow, UK Daily 737max8 Year-round
Westjet YHZ-London, Gatwick, UK 4x weekly 737max8 Resumes April 28

Iceland
Icelandair YHZ-Reykjavik, Iceland 3x weekly 737max8 Resumes May 31

Scotland, UK
Westjet YHZ-Edinburgh, Scotland, UK 3x weekly 737max8 Starts June 20

Dublin, Ireland
Westjet YHZ-Dublin, Ireland 4x weekly 737max8 Resumes June 19

[Keith P.]

It’s a shame aside from the Frankfurt flights that YHZ is afflicted with the miserable 737 Max for these European routes.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

It’s a shame aside from the Frankfurt flights that YHZ is afflicted with the miserable 737 Max for these European routes.

I don't find anything particularly "miserable" about flying on a 737. I'm not sure why anyone would, unless they were used to flying Executive Class, in a pod, which the 737 lacks.

And frankly, the 737 Max has been a godsend for YHZ. Without it, we likely wouldn't have WestJet's non-stops to London, Dublin and Edinburgh (or Paris, which hasn't yet been restored).

[MastClimberPro]

The disapponting thing is the service supplied by WestJest eastbound generally. Many of the flights they offer heading east to Europe end up handed off to other carriers or all too frequently cancelled entirely with little protection on other altenratives. Still need more lift from other carriers out of Halifax to help avoid heading westward before we are Europe bound.

[q12]

Originally Posted by MastClimberPro

The disapponting thing is the service supplied by WestJest eastbound generally. Many of the flights they offer heading east to Europe end up handed off to other carriers or all too frequently cancelled entirely with little protection on other altenratives. Still need more lift from other carriers out of Halifax to help avoid heading westward before we are Europe bound.

Westjet hasn't been the same since it was bought by ONEX. Hopefully they can get their act together this summer flying to Europe out of Halifax unlike the post-pandemic summer of 2022.

We are fortunate in Halifax for it's size to have both Air Canada and Discover Airlines (Lufthansa Subsidiary) offering a wide range of connecting options in Europe at London Heathrow and Frankfurt. Condor's new A330-neo are a big upgrade this year from their old 767's too. And Icelandair is also great for Europe connections without having to travel west.

Halifax Stanfield ranks 5th in Canada for the number of European non-stop destinations, only behind the big four (Toronto Pearson, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary).

Discover





Condor




Icelandair







Air Canada



Westjet

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

I don't find anything particularly "miserable" about flying on a 737. I'm not sure why anyone would, unless they were used to flying Executive Class, in a pod, which the 737 lacks.

And frankly, the 737 Max has been a godsend for YHZ. Without it, we likely wouldn't have WestJet's non-stops to London, Dublin and Edinburgh (or Paris, which hasn't yet been restored).

A short-haul cramped narrow-body airframe designed for domestic flights but now in transatlantic service. Might be a good idea to leave your knees at home because there’s not much room for them in economy class, and don’t drink anything because the 2 washrooms are about as big as a kitchen cabinet. Add to that the Boeing quality issues and it is not a very reassuring experience.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

A short-haul cramped narrow-body airframe designed for domestic flights but now in transatlantic service. Might be a good idea to leave your knees at home because there’s not much room for them in economy class, and don’t drink anything because the 2 washrooms are about as big as a kitchen cabinet. Add to that the Boeing quality issues and it is not a very reassuring experience.

Keith, I'm sure you know better.

As simple airline economics dictate, there's no more seat room in economy in a 777, 787, A330, A350 or any other wide-body you care to name, than there is in a 737 - just more people. I've flown transatlantic in 767s, 777s and A330s and I had no more legroom on any of them than I've had in recent A320 and B737 flights to the southern US. All that wide-bodies offer to airlines are greater range and the opportunity to cram in dozens more seats of the same size. I remember one particularly crippling AC 767 flight to Heathrow from YHZ that took days for my knees to recover from - and that's only a 4-5 hour flight. (Come to think of it, that reminds me of recent experiences in Scotiabank Centre. I don't think I can attend events there much longer - the seats are too uncomfortable to enjoy an event after an hour or so.)

Nor are the washrooms any larger on wide-bodies (not that I care; in all my life I've only had to use them two or three times).

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

A short-haul cramped narrow-body airframe designed for domestic flights but now in transatlantic service. Might be a good idea to leave your knees at home because there’s not much room for them in economy class, and don’t drink anything because the 2 washrooms are about as big as a kitchen cabinet. Add to that the Boeing quality issues and it is not a very reassuring experience.

I think TATL narrowbodies will ensure YHZ continues to punch above its weight on Europe services. With AC's A321XLR's on the way, perhaps a better narrow body to LHR down the road. Here in YVR we have a ton of narrowbody flights, mostly on the MAX, that are longer than most YHZ-Europe flights such as YVR-MIA, YVR-CUN heck even YVR-YHZ, currently served by a MAX, is longer than YHZ-LHR.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by connect2source

I think TATL narrowbodies will ensure YHZ continues to punch above its weight on Europe services.

Agreed - as I posted earlier, the Maxes have been a godsend for YHZ.

If the city continues its current growth rate, I can imagine wide-bodies eventually being reintroduced. KLM had 747 service to YHZ as far back as 1988, though later downsized to a Martinair 767, and CP Air operated DC-10s to Schiphol from here as well. For that matter, AC in the 70s and 80s operated L-1011s YHZ-YYZ, and later 767s on YHZ-BDA. Of course, airline economics changed radically after de-regulation...

I can't think of another North American city of only a half million with anything remotely like the international non-stop services we enjoy. A happy accident of geography - being so close to Europe - but we'll happily take it.

[q12]

Air Canada's daily non-stop from Halifax to Vancouver starts tomorrow (6 hours 15 min).

Which is 10 mins longer than Air Canada's daily non-stop from Halifax to London Heathrow (6 hours).

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

If the city continues its current growth rate, I can imagine wide-bodies eventually being reintroduced.

You've already got Condor's A330neos, Discover's A330-300's plus last year one of the YVR-YHZ nonstops was an AC 787-9 which I had the pleasure of flying on, it was a great experience taking an AC widebody on a true coast-coast flight, plus it was packed both ways I might add.

[Keith P.]

Many travelers are now actively avoiding flights on the 737 for reasons that may or may not be sensible. However there is no doubt that as an airframe it is as if GM still was trying to sell the Chevette - long past its best-before date. Airlines are only ordering it because it is cheaper than the competition. I'm not sure that bean-counter mentality is the best criteria for something that needs to work safely 100% of the time.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

However there is no doubt that as an airframe it is as if GM still was trying to sell the Chevette - long past its best-before date. Airlines are only ordering it because it is cheaper than the competition

Keith, I apologize that this may sound rude - my intent is not to offend - but that comment is, frankly, 100% nonsense. Just profoundly uninformed and simply untrue.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Saul Goode

Keith, I apologize that this may sound rude - my intent is not to offend - but that comment is, frankly, 100% nonsense. Just profoundly uninformed and simply untrue.

Ii would suggest that is true of your response, not mine. If Airbus had the capacity to build and fill their order backlog in a more timely manner the Boeing 737 order book would be much thinner. Fortunately the FAA has stepped in to ensure Boeing builds that ancient design properly.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Ii would suggest that is true of your response, not mine. If Airbus had the capacity to build and fill their order backlog in a more timely manner the Boeing 737 order book would be much thinner. Fortunately the FAA has stepped in to ensure Boeing builds that ancient design properly.

Unfortunately at Boeing, the bean counters staged a coup over the engineers and instituted a reign of terror. The ship is beginning to right itself, and, the US government will never let Boeing fail (for national security reasons), but, the whole situation stinks to high heaven.