I was at Toronto Pearson today at 9:30 a.m., and it was like another world. Hardly any cars at the departures level, only a few people in line for the Air Canada U.S. ticket window, and maybe 15-20 people that I could see in line for security. Which made me wonder? Was I just there at the right time, or are things improving at Canada’s busiest – and most vilified – airport? “We’re starting to see improvements on average wait times, both with departures and arrivals, but there’s more work to be done to provide reliability and consistency for our Read more
Toronto Pearson
The Canadian travel boom continues. Toronto-based Porter Airlines has placed a firm order for 20 Embraer E195-E2 passenger jets, adding to their existing 30 firm orders. Porter has said intends to fly the E195-E2s to popular business and leisure destinations throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, from Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto Pearson International Airport. The deal, with a list price value of US$1.56 billion, brings Porter’s orders with Embraer to a total of up to 100 E195-E2 aircraft, with 50 firm commitments and 50 purchase rights. In 2021, Porter ordered 30 Embraer E195-E2 jets, with purchase Read more
Mandatory random testing of fully vaccinated travellers arriving at some Canadian airports will resume today. Ottawa paused mandatory random testing for those entering Canada by air on June 11, 2022, as part of a broader strategy to transition testing for air travellers outside of the airports. But mandatory random tests resume Tuesday, July 19, 2022 for travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated. The rules apply to those arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports—Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. Health officials say air travellers who qualify as fully vaccinated and who are selected for mandatory random testing, Read more
Seven in ten Canadians say airport delays across the country are a “national embarrassment,” while nearly 60% say they’re not travelling until the situation improves, says a new Ipsos poll. The embarrassment is bad for Canada’s image, but the idea that six in ten Canadians are avoiding travel right now is troublesome for a Canadian tourism and travel industry that’s just beginning to get back on its feet following a two-year-plus pandemic. The poll was conducted exclusively for Global News. “The poll definitely suggests there’s a lot of anger right now and uncertainty around travel,” Gregory Jack, vice-president of Ipsos Read more
Lynx Air’s first flight from Edmonton International Airport took to the skies today, marking the commencement of five return services a week from Edmonton International Airport to Toronto Pearson International Airport and St John’s International Airport. On July 30, 2022, the Edmonton-Toronto service will increase to seven flights per week and Lynx will add Halifax Stanfield International Airport to its Edmonton network with two services a week. At that point Lynx will be flying 14 flights per week in and out of Edmonton, which equates to 2,646 seats per week. The St. John’s and Halifax services will operate as through-flights Read more
