A new report from the World Travel & Tourism Council predicts the Canadian tourism and travel industry is poised for a major rebound and is close to recovering to 2019 levels. The council’s 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) reveals the Canadian Travel & Tourism sector continues to show strong signs of post-pandemic recovery. According to the latest report, the sector is set to contribute $162.6 billion to the Canadian economy this year, up 17.2% from last year and within touching distance of the previous peak of $173.9 billion in 2019. WTTC is also forecasting that Travel & Tourism will create Read more
May 2023
Brace yourselves, Canada: a WestJet pilots strike or lockout could begin Friday. WestJet pilots have issued a 72-hour strike notice to the company and the government, and their union is warning that the airline could be shut down just before the busy May long weekend. Meanwhile, Flair Airlines says it’s adding flights in Western Canada to help passengers who might be stranded by a WestJet pilots’ strike or company lockout. The Air Line Pilots Association said in a news release late Monday that WestJet pilots plan to begin lawful job action early Friday morning, which the release said “could include Read more
A messy WestJet pilots’ strike is still possible for this week, but negotiations appear to be continuing between pilots and the airline. The pilots union issued an update Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time to say talks were set to to continue. “As of Sunday at 5pm ET, no 72 hour notice for strike or lock-out has been submitted,” according to @WestJetALPA, the official Twitter account for the WestJet Master Executive Council (MEC), Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA). Global News reports that pilots representing both WestJet and its discount brand Swoop voted in favour of a strike mandate in Read more
We all remember the headlines from last summer: “Canadian airport chaos,” “A sea of lost bags,” and “Toronto Pearson ranked worst airport in world.” I did a series of CBC radio interviews last Friday to talk about whether we’ll see a repeat of the 2022 Summer of Travel Chaos. Here’s what I had to say. What do thing look like for the summer of 2023? There appears to be tons of demand. Air Canada last Friday reported operating revenues for the first quarter of this year were nearly double 2022 numbers. A Mastercard report issued last Thursday found that leisure Read more
Air Canada’s operating revenue for the first quarter of this year was 90% higher than a year ago and about 10% higher than the first quarter of 2019. Canada’s largest airline today reported its first quarter 2023 financial results, and it’s clear that the travel rebound is a powerful one, indeed. Air Canada said its operating revenue for the quarter was $4.887 billion, nearly double last year and even higher than 2019, before the pandemic hit. The Montreal-based airline reported an operating loss of $17 million, improved from an operating loss of $550 million in the first quarter of Read more
