Canadian airline shifts to dedicated charter service after common carrier business falters. Canadian airline WestJet has pivoted to offering other airlines and logistics companies the option of chartering its small fleet of Boeing 737-800 cargo jets to move goods after recently discontinuing scheduled cargo service because of weak demand. WestJet Cargo on Tuesday issued a… Read More »

A new analysis has found that the on-time performance (OTP) of Canada’s national carrier dropped during the first half of 2019 compared to 2018. According to Claim Compass, a California-based travel compensation company, Air Canada’s OTP dropped to 68.03% this year to date from 68.77% last year. With an average of 46,000 flights per month,… Read More »

Smoke from wildfires burning in B.C. resulted in some delays and cancellations for travellers on the weekend. A total of six flights bound for the British Columbia Interior from Calgary were listed as cancelled on the Calgary International Airport website, including three to Kamloops and one each to Penticton and Kelowna on Saturday. Lauren Stewart,… Read More »

WestJet guests heading from Calgary to Saskatoon experienced an unexpected delay during their flight on Thursday. A WestJet passenger plane bound for Saskatoon was forced to turn back to Calgary and make an emergency landing due to tire damage, WestJet said. According to a WestJet spokesperson, the tire was damaged during takeoff and the flight… Read More »

Despite the lack of pipeline access, low oil prices and a declining population, Air Canada says it’s confident in Fort McMurray’s economy. WestJet recently cut its sole daily direct flight from the oilsands capital to Toronto — a crucial air bridge for passengers heading to Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. However, Air Canada said it’s… Read More »

An Indonesian flight was delayed after passengers complained about a strong, foul smell in the cabin caused by a fruit, according to BBC News and The Jakarta Post. Durian is a large, spiky fruit popular in Asia that gives off an overwhelming odor, earning it the nickname of world’s smelliest fruit. Just over 2 tons… Read More »

Air Canada and WestJet customers who are scheduled to fly in and out of some cities in British Columbia are being offered flexible flight options, after B.C. issued a province-wide state of emergency due to wildfires. The state of emergency issued Wednesday is in place for 14 days, the government of B.C. said, but could… Read More »

A new report assessing airline punctuality has found that Canadian carriers lag behind their competitors, with Air Canada reporting the worst performance among 20 of the world’s biggest airlines. OAG, a global travel data and insight company, released its 2019 rankings of the on-time performance of global airlines and airports on Friday. The report counts… Read More »

Saskatchewan travellers looking to fly south for the winter this year might be in for a bumpy ride. This week, WestJet announced flight cancellations from airports in Regina and Saskatoon. The company blamed the disruptions on Boeing’s 737 Max 8 jets. The planes were pulled from service by Transport Canada after 346 people were killed… Read More »

WestJet temporarily grounded a Boeing 737 Max jet that was supposed to fly from Calgary to Toronto on Friday after a warning light came on in the cockpit prior to takeoff. Flight 658 was boarded and preparing to take off when a warning light came on. “After a normal engine start, a standard function of… Read More »

The ultra-low-cost airline Swoop says it will reimburse the cost of tickets for passengers who book on other airlines after it cancelled seven flights this week due to a damaged plane. The cancellations included a flight from Winnipeg to Kelowna, B.C., on Monday, after which passengers were rescheduled for flights up to a week later.… Read More »