Air Travel

A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on May 13, 2019. A group of airlines are asking the Supreme Court of Canada to hear their case after a lower court ruling largely upheld the validity of Canada's air passenger bill of rights. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Airlines ask Supreme Court to hear case on passenger bill of rights

Bill bolsters compensation for air travellers subjected to delayed flights and damaged luggage

 

Passengers walk past Air Canada and WestJet planes at Calgary International Airport in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

WestJet temporarily suspends service from 3 Canadian cities to Europe

WestJet says it has temporarily suspended transatlantic service between three Canadian cities…

 

Experts say the low-cost airline model is exacerbating an already existing pilot shortage that threatens to become an even bigger problem for this country’s aviation industry in the years to come. A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, May 13, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Surge of discount airlines making Canada’s pilot shortage worse: experts

Aging workforce, pandemic-related layoffs, early retirements, spiralling training costs all factors

 

An Air Canada aircraft taxis at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Airlines top list of who to blame for 2022 holiday travel chaos across Canada, survey says

More Canadians blame weather and airlines rather than the federal government for December’s flight cancellations

An Air Canada aircraft taxis at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
FILE - A Honolulu Police vehicle is parked outside of The Queen’s Medical Center, where some patients injured by air turbulence on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu were taken, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Honolulu. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, says the pilots of a Hawaiian Air plane that hit severe turbulence last month told investigators they had less than three seconds to react after a cloud shot up vertically in front of them at 38,000 feet on an otherwise clear day. Twenty-five people were injured in the Dec. 13, 2022, incident, including six who were seriously hurt. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File)

Report: Cloud shot up in front of plane before turbulence rocked Hawaiian flight

25 people on board were injured in December flight from Phoenix to Honolulu

FILE - A Honolulu Police vehicle is parked outside of The Queen’s Medical Center, where some patients injured by air turbulence on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu were taken, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Honolulu. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, says the pilots of a Hawaiian Air plane that hit severe turbulence last month told investigators they had less than three seconds to react after a cloud shot up vertically in front of them at 38,000 feet on an otherwise clear day. Twenty-five people were injured in the Dec. 13, 2022, incident, including six who were seriously hurt. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy, File)
Cascadia Air has ceased its commuter air service operations according to a Jan. 11 announcement. Cascadia held a ribbon-cutting at the Chilliwack Airport in this file photo with Cascadia CEO Jeremy Barrett shaking hands with Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove on July 6, 2022. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress file)

Cascadia Air shuts down flights to Chilliwack, Abbotsford and other cities citing tough times

‘We recognize that this decision is going to have a significant impact on those we serve’

Cascadia Air has ceased its commuter air service operations according to a Jan. 11 announcement. Cascadia held a ribbon-cutting at the Chilliwack Airport in this file photo with Cascadia CEO Jeremy Barrett shaking hands with Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove on July 6, 2022. (Jennifer Feinberg/ Chilliwack Progress file)
The Kelowna International Airport experienced many delays and cancellations over the holidays because of weather conditions. (Brittany Webster/Capital News)

The lost luggage saga: Kelowna visitor’s bag still missing 16 days later

WestJet hasn’t been able to give a straightforward answer on where the bag is

The Kelowna International Airport experienced many delays and cancellations over the holidays because of weather conditions. (Brittany Webster/Capital News)
Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. From long hours waiting on hold to sleepless nights on airport floors and desperate scrambles to rebook flights and find missing bags, it was a holiday travel season that no one had on their wish list — but that thousands of people got. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

‘Not hiding’: Transport minister says Ottawa will be accountable on travel mess

MPs are probing what went wrong in the days before and after Christmas

Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. From long hours waiting on hold to sleepless nights on airport floors and desperate scrambles to rebook flights and find missing bags, it was a holiday travel season that no one had on their wish list — but that thousands of people got. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. From long hours waiting on hold to sleepless nights on airport floors and desperate scrambles to rebook flights and find missing bags, it was a holiday travel season that no one had on their wish list — but that thousands of people got. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Airlines, airports, transport minister to testify on holiday travel mess at committee

Leaders from country’s major airports and airlines are also among witnesses set to appear

Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. From long hours waiting on hold to sleepless nights on airport floors and desperate scrambles to rebook flights and find missing bags, it was a holiday travel season that no one had on their wish list — but that thousands of people got. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
People travel to the United States of America at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. Air Canada warned travellers to check their flights before heading to the airport as troubles caused by a key computer outage at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration caused delays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

U.S. travel problems affecting transborder flights: Air Canada, WestJet

Canadian travellers headed to or from the U.S. urged to check their flights

People travel to the United States of America at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. Air Canada warned travellers to check their flights before heading to the airport as troubles caused by a key computer outage at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration caused delays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
FILE - A Southwest Airlines passenger jet approaches Kansas City International Airport to land as geese fly overhead, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. A computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration brought flights to a standstill across the U.S. on Wednesday, with hundreds of delays quickly cascading through the system at airports nationwide. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Flight disruptions cascade across US after computer outage

Grounding order has been lifted but nearly 5,000 flights delayed and almost 900 cancelled

FILE - A Southwest Airlines passenger jet approaches Kansas City International Airport to land as geese fly overhead, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. A computer outage at the Federal Aviation Administration brought flights to a standstill across the U.S. on Wednesday, with hundreds of delays quickly cascading through the system at airports nationwide. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Force airlines to automatically compensate travellers, passengers’ advocate says

MPs to begin an emergency study of the chaos across Canada’s airports over the holidays

Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
A passenger waits in an empty terminal at the airport while flights are suspended due to drug cartel-related violence in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico on January 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Martin Urista

Some Canadians set to return from Mexico’s Mazatlan area as airports reopen

Canadian government issued a shelter-in-place advisory on Jan. 5

A passenger waits in an empty terminal at the airport while flights are suspended due to drug cartel-related violence in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico on January 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Martin Urista
From left to right, Justin Bogdanovic, Shannon Dryer, Victor Dryer, Gabriel Dryer, Nikolas Bogdanovic and Kayden Dryer, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Victor Dryer

Travellers crave getaways but now weigh risks of lost baggage, poor weather, illness

One B.C. woman says she’s unlikely to ever take a travel holiday over Christmas again

From left to right, Justin Bogdanovic, Shannon Dryer, Victor Dryer, Gabriel Dryer, Nikolas Bogdanovic and Kayden Dryer, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Victor Dryer
A young boy who arrived on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong wears a face mask and face shield at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Starting Thursday, Canada will require air travellers from China, Hong Kong and Macau to have a recent negative COVID-19 test result. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Rule requiring negative COVID test before Chinese flights takes effect

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized Canada’s change in requirements this week

A young boy who arrived on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong wears a face mask and face shield at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. Starting Thursday, Canada will require air travellers from China, Hong Kong and Macau to have a recent negative COVID-19 test result. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Peter Schiefke rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, May 4, 2018. Schiefke, chair of the House of Commons transport committee, is calling on Sunwing Airlines and Via Rail to publicly explain what caused the travel nightmare that plagued thousands of Canadians over the holidays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

‘Unacceptable’: Committee chair says Sunwing, Via Rail must answer for holiday mess

House of Commons call for representatives from both companies to appear as witnesses

Peter Schiefke rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, May 4, 2018. Schiefke, chair of the House of Commons transport committee, is calling on Sunwing Airlines and Via Rail to publicly explain what caused the travel nightmare that plagued thousands of Canadians over the holidays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Travellers wearing face masks with their luggage walk through the international flight departure terminal entrance gate at the capital airport in Beijing on Dec. 29, 2022. The Chinese government argues that moves by countries like Canada to require air passengers from China to get COVID-19 tests is unscientific, but business groups say the policy won’t impact trade. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Andy Wong

Business groups optimistic despite China’s pushback on air-travel test requirements

Starting Thursday, Canada will require air travellers from China to have a recent negative test

Travellers wearing face masks with their luggage walk through the international flight departure terminal entrance gate at the capital airport in Beijing on Dec. 29, 2022. The Chinese government argues that moves by countries like Canada to require air passengers from China to get COVID-19 tests is unscientific, but business groups say the policy won’t impact trade. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Andy Wong
A woman searches for her luggage at Vancouver International Airport after a snowstorm crippled operations leading to cancellations and major delays on Dec. 20, 2022. Two weeks later, the airport says it’s still working to reunite hundreds of pieces of luggage with travellers. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

About 1,500 bags still stranded at YVR following B.C. storm

Airport says it’s working with airlines to return people’s leftover luggage

A woman searches for her luggage at Vancouver International Airport after a snowstorm crippled operations leading to cancellations and major delays on Dec. 20, 2022. Two weeks later, the airport says it’s still working to reunite hundreds of pieces of luggage with travellers. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
A Sunwing Airlines jet prepares to takeoff at Trudeau International Airport in Montreal on Friday, March 20, 2020. Some Sunwing travellers from Saskatchewan say the airline is leaving them at airports in other provinces, while another says her flight from Mexico that made it to Regina had dozens of empty seats. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Some Saskatchewan Sunwing passengers make it home, others make their own way back

‘We expect Sunwing to appropriately compensate everyone’: Saskatchewan premier

A Sunwing Airlines jet prepares to takeoff at Trudeau International Airport in Montreal on Friday, March 20, 2020. Some Sunwing travellers from Saskatchewan say the airline is leaving them at airports in other provinces, while another says her flight from Mexico that made it to Regina had dozens of empty seats. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Holiday passengers arriving without bags as Toronto Pearson airport luggage piles up

Passengers unsure how to reclaim bags as hundreds of pieces of luggage show up late to YYZ

Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
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