Air Travel

An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Air Canada denying passenger compensation claims for staff shortages, citing safety

Airlines required to pay if reason for cancellation is within their control, but not if safety is at play

An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
The Snowbirds are the military aerobatics flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force. (Submitted photo)

Snowbirds pilot unharmed after crashing aircraft in Northern B.C.

Cause of crash at North Peace Regional Airport under investigation

The Snowbirds are the military aerobatics flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force. (Submitted photo)
An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
An Air Canada jet takes off from Trudeau Airport in Montreal, Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
A passenger arrives from New Delhi at Pearson Airport in Toronto on April 21, 2021. Infectious disease experts are at odds over the value of testing random travellers into the country for COVID-19 as the federal government relaunched its airport test program Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Questions raised about value of random COVID-19 tests for travellers

Randomly selected air travellers at those airports must now report to off-site locations for tests

A passenger arrives from New Delhi at Pearson Airport in Toronto on April 21, 2021. Infectious disease experts are at odds over the value of testing random travellers into the country for COVID-19 as the federal government relaunched its airport test program Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
The union representing more than 700 WestJet employees at airports in Calgary and Vancouver say they have voted to support a strike if they cannot reach a new contract with the airline. Westjet employees wearing masks wait for passengers at the Calgary Airport in Calgary, Alta., Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

WestJet employees in Calgary and Vancouver back strike vote if deal can’t be reached

Unifor says wages are a key issue in the contract talks as strike vote see 98 per cent in favour

The union representing more than 700 WestJet employees at airports in Calgary and Vancouver say they have voted to support a strike if they cannot reach a new contract with the airline. Westjet employees wearing masks wait for passengers at the Calgary Airport in Calgary, Alta., Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Mandatory random COVID-19 testing resumes today for travellers coming in through Canada's four major airports in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal. A passenger from Air India flight 187 from New Delhi arrives at Pearson Airport in Toronto on Wednesday April 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Random COVID-19 testing resumes at four major airports; tests to be done offsite

Actual tests will be completed through an in-person or virtual appointment outside the airport

Mandatory random COVID-19 testing resumes today for travellers coming in through Canada's four major airports in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal. A passenger from Air India flight 187 from New Delhi arrives at Pearson Airport in Toronto on Wednesday April 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
WestJet Airlines says a system outage Thursday morning is delaying some flights and intermittently impacting the company’s operations. A Westjet employee assists people checking in for a domestic flight at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, January 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

WestJet check-in restored after system-wide outage snarled cross-country travel

System outages affected both WestJet Airlines and air traffic control agency NAV Canada

WestJet Airlines says a system outage Thursday morning is delaying some flights and intermittently impacting the company’s operations. A Westjet employee assists people checking in for a domestic flight at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Thursday, January 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
People travel at Pearson International Airport during the Covid-19 pandemic in Toronto, on Dec. 3, 2021. Even though air traffic is on the upswing, Covid testing of international passengers is causing the system to be backed up. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Canada bringing back mandatory random testing of travellers arriving at main airports

Testing resume for fully vaccinated travellers arriving at Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto

People travel at Pearson International Airport during the Covid-19 pandemic in Toronto, on Dec. 3, 2021. Even though air traffic is on the upswing, Covid testing of international passengers is causing the system to be backed up. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Exhausted travellers having a nap in the airport. (Carla Leinweber/Submitted)

B.C. woman collapses in airport after living there for days due to flight cancellations

Carla Leinweber, 66, gave up on her vacation after flights were cancelled countless times over 5 days

Exhausted travellers having a nap in the airport. (Carla Leinweber/Submitted)
A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, May 13, 2019. For those who remain undeterred by the daunting lines and flight delays at Canadian airports, questions remain about how to save money on air travel amid mounting fuel costs and inflation.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

How to find cheaper flights this year as airfares soar

Airfares jumped 11.6 per cent year over year in May

A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, May 13, 2019. For those who remain undeterred by the daunting lines and flight delays at Canadian airports, questions remain about how to save money on air travel amid mounting fuel costs and inflation.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Air Canada planes sit on the tarmac at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Air Canada to slash summer flight schedule as airports face lengthy delays

154 flights per day on average dropped from the airline’s schedule

Air Canada planes sit on the tarmac at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Passengers lineup at the check in counter at Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport, in Montreal, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. An analytics firm says a majority of domestic flights to some of Canada’s busiest airports were delayed or cancelled over the past week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Spike in domestic flight delays, cancellations as global gridlock continues

Aviation industry has blamed on a shortage of federal security and customs officers

Passengers lineup at the check in counter at Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport, in Montreal, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. An analytics firm says a majority of domestic flights to some of Canada’s busiest airports were delayed or cancelled over the past week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Chris Nowrouzi, CEO and Co-Owner of FlyGTA, is photographed at Buttonville Airport in Markham, Ontario on Saturday June 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Private air travel takes off in Canada— but can it stay aloft?

Airport delays and chaos pushing more wealthy people to fly privately

Chris Nowrouzi, CEO and Co-Owner of FlyGTA, is photographed at Buttonville Airport in Markham, Ontario on Saturday June 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Signage for a COVID-19 screening centre is pictured at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C. Friday, February 19, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Airport screening officers go casual to call out ‘disrespect’ from Ottawa

Ottawa scrambling to respond to lines, delays and turmoil due to staffing issues at airports

Signage for a COVID-19 screening centre is pictured at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C. Friday, February 19, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Thursday, May 12, 2022.Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the federal government is working on new measures to help ease the issues at major airports, adding that a “similar phenomenon” is happening worldwide.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Federal ministers say they’re working on measures to end delays at airports

The Conservatives have been calling on the government to lift travel restrictions

People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Thursday, May 12, 2022.Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the federal government is working on new measures to help ease the issues at major airports, adding that a “similar phenomenon” is happening worldwide.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Thursday, May 12, 2022.The Canadian Airports Council is asking the federal government to do away with COVID-19 protocols at customs to clear up the chaos that international travellers experience when they arrive in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Regular travel and public health measures can’t coexist: Canadian Airport Council

Council wants federal government to do away with random tests and public health questions at customs

People wait in line to check in at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Thursday, May 12, 2022.The Canadian Airports Council is asking the federal government to do away with COVID-19 protocols at customs to clear up the chaos that international travellers experience when they arrive in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
An airliner lands at Tampa International Airport Friday, March 19, 2021 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puska, File)

Passenger brings small plane in for safe Florida landing after pilot falls ill

‘My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane’

An airliner lands at Tampa International Airport Friday, March 19, 2021 in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puska, File)
Guide Eli Schellenberg, in red, leads climbers down from the summit of the Mt. Norquay Via Ferrata near Banff, Alta., Thursday, June 20, 2019. Even as gas prices hit record highs, Canadians are fanning out across the country for fresh travel experiences after two years of bottled-up demand. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Canadians hold their noses at gas prices as they hit the road, skies once again

Some tourism operators expected to double down on domestic markets

Guide Eli Schellenberg, in red, leads climbers down from the summit of the Mt. Norquay Via Ferrata near Banff, Alta., Thursday, June 20, 2019. Even as gas prices hit record highs, Canadians are fanning out across the country for fresh travel experiences after two years of bottled-up demand. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Grounded Air Canada planes sit on the tarmac at Pearson International Airport during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Air Canada reported a first-quarter loss of $974 million compared with a loss of $1.30 billion a year earlier as its revenue more than tripled. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Air Canada to jack up fares amid higher fuel costs, weak business travel

Carrier more than tripled its revenues last quarter, but losses still significant

Grounded Air Canada planes sit on the tarmac at Pearson International Airport during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Air Canada reported a first-quarter loss of $974 million compared with a loss of $1.30 billion a year earlier as its revenue more than tripled. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
A Sunwing aircraft is parked at Montreal Trudeau airport in Montreal on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Sunwing Airlines Inc. says thousands of passengers remain stranded and the start of vacations delayed as the company continues to struggle with a technical problem that has grounded flights. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Technical issue continues to disrupt travel plans for thousands of Sunwing passengers

About 15 out of the more than 40 scheduled flights have been processed since issue surfaced

A Sunwing aircraft is parked at Montreal Trudeau airport in Montreal on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Sunwing Airlines Inc. says thousands of passengers remain stranded and the start of vacations delayed as the company continues to struggle with a technical problem that has grounded flights. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson