Two of Canada’s largest travel companies are proposing a major merger. WestJet and Sunwing announced today that they have reached a definitive agreement under which the WestJet Group of companies will acquire Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines. “The transaction will bring together two distinctly Canadian travel and tourism success stories to deliver new travel options and greater value for travellers in the rapidly expanding leisure and work-from-anywhere travel markets,” officials said. “The combination will enable both companies to protect and create jobs and rebuild strength in the Canadian travel industry at a critical time.” Robert Kokonis, president of Toronto-based AirTrav, Read more
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International airline traffic could surpass pre-COVID levels by 2024, a new study says. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is projecting that overall traveller numbers will hit 4 billion in 2024, which would put it at 103% of 2019’s total. “The trajectory for the recovery in passenger numbers from COVID-19 was not changed by the omicron variant,” said IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh. “People want to travel. And when travel restrictions are lifted, they return to the skies. “There is still a long way to go to reach a normal state of affairs, but the forecast for the evolution in Read more
With flights set to launch in Spring 2022, Ireland is welcoming the news that Air Canada announced this week – an expanded Summer 2022 international schedule with 34 routes relaunching across the Atlantic and Pacific, including Vancouver to Dublin (June 1st) and Montreal to Dublin (June 2nd). Air Canada already flies Toronto to Dublin. “In a clear sign that international travel is back, we are excited with the news of Air Canada’s resumption of direct routes from Montreal and Vancouver to Dublin. 2022 now sees five direct gateways across Canada and we look forward to welcoming Canadians from across the Read more
Flair Airlines, Canada’s everyday low fare airline, today announced the expansion of its base at Region of Waterloo International Airport in southern Ontario. Flair announced service from Waterloo to Charlottetown and Saint John, both beginning in June. Charlottetown will be flown two times per week on Thursdays and Sundays, while St. John will be flown three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Service to Charlottetown Airport begins on June 9, with service to Saint John beginning on June 8. One-way fares to Charlottetown and Saint John, including taxes and fees, begin at $29. There are limited seats and Read more
Porter Airlines’ service to Muskoka, Ontario, returns just in time for your summer plans. Flights begin June 24, 2022, and conclude September 6, 2022. Service between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Muskoka Airport will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. Connecting flights are also available via Toronto from various Porter destinations. I had the pleasure of flying from Muskoka to Toronto a couple years ago and found it to be a great service; not only easy and convenient (beats the heck out of Highway 400) but beautiful. “We look forward to bringing our passengers back to Muskoka after Read more
