As capacity steadily returns to Canada’s market, the country’s flag carrier has reiterated calls for the government to help quicken the pace of recovery by easing COVID-19 travel measures.
Routes analyzes some of the services returning as well as new routes being launched. This week we look at KLM’s new service to Cork; WestJet’s transatlantic resumption; and Air Albania’s decision to enter the crowded Tirana-London market.
KLM plans to further expand its European and intercontinental flying in the coming months, restoring connectivity to 78% of the destinations it originally intended to serve this summer.
Hainan Airlines filed an application with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in November last year for rights to introduce the first regular flight between China and Alberta. There are already direct links between Beijing and Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver; Guangzhou and Vancouver; Shanghai and Toronto and Vancouver and Shenyang and Vancouver.
Air Canada continues to strategically grow its international network at Vancouver. This new seasonal route follows the recent announcement of several enhancements at the airline's Vancouver International Airport hub for 2016, including new Transborder services to Chicago, San Jose and San Diego, double daily flights to London Heathrow, and the only flights linking Canada to Brisbane, Australia.
As revealed exclusively by our schedules blog, Airline Route, on the morning of September 14, 2015, WestJet plans to introduce flights to London Gatwick from Calgary, Edmonton, St John’s, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg, the latter’s first regular transatlantic service to the UK since Zoom Airlines served the market in September 2008.
According to its update flight schedules for winter 2015/2016, WestJet will initially use the widebodied jets on a twice weekly service between Calgary and Honolulu and four times weekly link between Calgary and Kahului from December 11, 2015. The following day, a three times weekly link between Edmonton and Kahului will also be inaugurated.
The latest schedule update from the airline includes the introduction of new non-stop services from Calgary to Terrace and Nanaimo; from Vancouver to Comox; from Toronto to Austin and from Montreal to Mexico City. Air Canada is also switching its existing Toronto-Kelowna and Toronto-Sydney, NS services to Air Canada rouge due to the high volumes of leisure traffic on the routes, while Air Canada rouge will also introduce a new domestic seasonal link between Calgary and Halifax.
The new Air France connection to Vancouver will launch on March 29, 2015 and will initially operate on a three times weekly basis through to May 4, 2015 when it will be increased to a five times weekly schedule for the peak summer period, before returning to a three times weekly offering from September 14, 2015 through to the end of the season on October 24, 2015.
Latest data from The International Air Transport Association (IATA) for global air freight markets shows air cargo growth accelerated in May 2014, with 4.7 per cent growth compared to a year ago. This is up from the 3.8 per cent year-on-year growth recorded in April.
Canadian leisure carrier Air Canada rouge is to expand its operations into Western Canada to serve a number of predominantly leisure markets from Vancouver and Calgary to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Anchorage.
