WestJet today has issued a 72-hour lockout notice to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), the union that represents WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers. As a result of today’s lockout notice, a work stoppage could occur as early as Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 12 p.m. MT, unless a deal is reached.
“The decision to issue a lockout notice was not one that was made lightly, and we sincerely regret and apologize for the uncertainty this causes for our guests and the communities and regions that rely on us. Despite our unwavering commitment to reach a collective agreement, AMFA continues to show up to the bargaining table with unreasonable demands and expectations,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airline and Group Chief Operating Officer. “With AMFA publicly issuing a strike vote alert last week and publicly directing guests to fly with other carriers, we can’t allow the unpredictable nature and lack of progress to continue. We are left with no alternative but to issue a lockout notice in an attempt to bring this to a final resolution.”
The WestJet Group has been in active labour negotiations with AMFA since September 2023. The WestJet Group has presented an offer to AMFA that would make WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers the highest paid in Canada, with a cumulative wage increase of over 20 per cent across the span of the collective agreement. The offer would also deliver industry leading work-life balance standards and strong commitments to job security.
“We sincerely value the work and contributions of our Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, and our proposed agreement reflects this. We are unwaveringly committed to reaching an agreement to prevent travel disruption, however, we are equally prepared to protect the travel plans of our guests and to provide long-term stability and security for all employees at the WestJet Group,” concluded Pen.
Issuing a 72-hour lockout notice does not mean travel disruption will occur. However, in the coming days, the WestJet Group will take all necessary actions to manage the impacts as much as possible, including:
Beginning preparations to operate a reduced schedule.
Proactively managing changes and cancellations, to ensure the ability to communicate with guests in advance of their flight.
Providing flexible change and cancel options for those who wish to make alternative arrangements.
Sunrise Airways has announced the largest expansion of its route network to date with the addition of new intra-regional flights connecting four destinations within the Eastern Caribbean – Antigua, Dominica, St. Kitts, and St. Lucia.
The carrier will operate the new service beginning May 25, 2024 utilizing Embraer 120 (EMB-120) twin-turboprop aircraft, offering a maximum seating capacity for 30 passengers.
New Sunrise Airways flights within the Eastern Caribbean will operate six days per-week (every day except Tuesday). Two flights daily connect Antigua–Dominica and Antigua–St. Kitts, while Antigua–St. Lucia service will operate once daily.
News of Sunrise Airways’ expansion in the Eastern Caribbean follows the October 2023 announcement of the carrier’s first-ever flights to/from Miami. The carrier also serves an additional 12 gateways across six Caribbean and Central American destinations – Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Panama City, and St. Maarten – and has plans to expand further in the Eastern Caribbean in 2024 and beyond.
Sunrise Airways (IATA: S6, ICAO: KSZ) is a Caribbean-based regional carrier dedicated to providing safe and reliable passenger service connecting the West Indies as never before. The Sunrise Airways route network extends throughout the Caribbean, as well as into the United States (Miami) and Central America (Panama). New flights serving gateways throughout the Eastern Caribbean are planned for 2024–2025. The Sunrise Airways corporate headquarters and Service Oversight Center (SOC) are based at Toussaint Louverture International Airport (IATA: PAP, ICAO: MTPP) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sunrise Airways is privately-owned. Its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is noted Haitian businessman, philanthropist, and pilot, Philippe Bayard.
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Delta unveiled its custom Airbus A350-900 Team USA aircraft livery in Toulouse, France on N521DN honoring the airline’s commitment to celebrate the athletes’ journeys and connect them with their dreams as the official airline of Team USA.
The Team USA-inspired A350 celebrates Delta’s eight-year partnership with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which runs through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Unveiling the Team USA aircraft for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 marks a major milestone for Delta’s support of Team USA as we look toward the start of competition in just a few months,” said Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Tillman. “This plane, designed by our in-house creative team, represents Delta’s commitment to Team USA and our partnership to elevate these athletes to reach their highest potential. As this plane flies around the world in the coming months and years, we hope it is seen as a symbol of hard work, dedication and the upward momentum to being the best that Team USA and Delta innately share.”
DELTA’S CHAIRMAN’S CLUB TAKES DELIVERY IN TOULOUSE
The celebration in Toulouse – home of Airbus’ global headquarters and where the plane was built and painted this year – had a special audience this year, with Delta’s Chairman’s Club – a peer-selected honoree group of the airline’s top 100 employees from divisions across the company – being a part of the reveal moment for the first time.
These employees, who are nominated by their peers and Delta’s most senior leaders, represent top employees from across the business. The honorees, which are selected annually, are chosen based on their merit and ability to exemplify the Delta brand each day. Each year, Chairman’s Club Honorees receive the distinction of flying on a new Delta aircraft home to Atlanta as recognition of their commitment and dedication to the brand. To celebrate the countdown to the Paris Games, the 2023 honoree class was able to unveil the brand-new Team USA livery design and be the first to fly on the newly minted plane. Members of the 2023 class were in attendance for the occasion.
“Team USA athletes are resilient and perseverant – much like Delta’s own people who work each day behind the scenes to connect the world,” said VP of Global Communications Gina Laughlin. “Celebrating this moment alongside our 2023 Chairman’s Club Honorees is only fitting as Delta’s people and Team USA work diligently each day to bring the best of themselves to their work. No one better understand what it means to Keep Climbing to the top.”
Delta’s Chairman’s Club Honorees will fly the aircraft back to Atlanta on May 3.
DESIGNING THE LIVERY
The custom livery was designed over several months by Alessandra Rabellino and Delta’s internal brand design team, Window Seat. The bespoke design boasts red, white and blue colors with ‘Team USA’ proudly written across its side and maintains elements of the Team USA Livery design for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, as a nod to the beginning of the partner journey, while also incorporating features that look ahead to Paris and beyond.
“We evolved one of the main features from the Beijing Livery – the jet stream – into the shape of the Eiffel Tower, symbolizing momentum as we countdown to Paris,” Rabellino said. “Being able to see the big reveal after the curtain drop was so exciting. But what is even more special is being part of this occasion alongside the Chairman’s Club Honorees who have such a big impact on our company – it’s a true honor.”
On May 2 Delta unveiled its custom Airbus A350 Team USA aircraft livery in Toulouse, France honoring the airline’s commitment to celebrate these athlete’s journey and connect them with their dreams as the official airline of Team USA. NBC’s Keir Simmons shared an exclusive look inside on TODAY.
ABOUT DELTA’S TEAM USA PARTNERSHIP
To further its commitment to Team USA, Delta has also proudly partnered with 15 Team USA athlete ambassadors for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. This group of inspiring athletes will join Delta on the road to Paris as the airline will support them both on and off the field of play, celebrating their stories of resilience and perseverance as they pursue their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.
Delta’s Team USA athlete ambassadors include U.S. Olympians and Paralympians, an Olympic hopeful and gold-medal winning legends, who will support the Games next year as spectators – some for the first time.
U.S. Olympic Athletes:
Allyson Felix, 11X U.S. Olympic medalist, Track and Field
Gabby Thomas, 2X U.S. Olympic gold medalist, Track and Field
Ilona Maher, U.S. Olympian, Rugby
Brooke Raboutou, U.S. Olympian, Sport Climbing
Jagger Eaton, U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, Skateboarding
Chase Kalisz, 2X U.S. Olympic medalist, Swimming
Victor Montalvo, U.S. Olympic hopeful, Breaking
Ashleigh Johnson, 2X Olympic gold medalist, Water Polo
U.S. Paralympic Athletes:
Brad Snyder, 8X U.S. Paralympic medalist, Para Swimming & Paratriathlon
Oksana Masters, 17X U.S. Paralympic medalist, Para Cycling & Para Cross-country ski
Kaleo Kanahele Maclay, 3X U.S. Paralympic medalist, Sitting Volleyball
Trevon Jenifer, 3X U.S. Paralympic medalist, Wheelchair Basketball
Roderick Townsend, 4X U.S. Paralympic medalist, Para Track and Field
Chuck Aoki, 3X U.S. Paralympic medalist, Wheelchair Rugby
Mallory Weggemann, 5X U.S. Paralympic medalist, Para Swimming
As Team USA’s official airline, Delta will manage travel for all U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milan 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where it also is an inaugural founding partner.
The partnership with Team USA furthers Delta’s longstanding support for sport – and the airline’s proud history supporting Team USA and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Delta served as a past sponsor of its hometown in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Atlanta 1996 and Salt Lake City 2002.
Etihad Airways has launched reciprocal interline partnerships with five new airline partners, further expanding travel options for guests across its expanding global network.
The airline has agreed partnerships with Kam Air in Afghanistan, SKY express in Greece, Rex Airlines in Australia, Jeju Air in Korea and Myanmar Airways International. The interline agreements give customers of all airlines involved enhanced connectivity to destinations across each other’s networks, enabling guests to book their entire journey on a single ticket and have their baggage checked through seamlessly to their end destination.
These new partnerships offer a range of new options for Etihad’s guests.
At Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport guests from all over the world can connect to the Kam Air flight to Kabul and travel onward into Afghanistan.
Guests flying on Etihad’s twice daily flights to Athens, can connect onwards with SKY express to 28 destinations in Greece and its beautiful Mediterranean islands.
Rex Airlines provides travellers with effortless access from Etihad’s gateways in Sydney and Melbourne to 22 destinations in Australia, including Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast.
With Jeju Air guests can continue their journey from Seoul to 27 destinations across seven countries in Northeast Asia.
Links with Myanmar Airways International will give enhanced access to Yangon and Mandalay through Etihad’s gateways in South Asia.
Etihad now has 123 interline, codeshare and strategic partnerships with airlines across the world.
WestJet Group CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, concluded his inaugural visit to Atlantic Canada in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he was joined by key stakeholders and community members to discuss the Group’s expanding presence across the region.
Von Hoensbroech highlighted the WestJet Group’s renewed commitment to the region, as exhibited by network enhancements unfolding across the province’s key airports this summer, including; increased east-to-west domestic air service seamlessly connecting Canadians from coast-to-coast, and enhanced leisure service, accomplished through the resumption of seasonal transatlantic service to London (Gatwick) and increased north to south air service providing access to popular sun destinations in the winter.
Photo: St. John’s International Airport
In his remarks, von Hoensbroech provided a comprehensive overview of the WestJet Group’s ongoing investments in Newfoundland and Labrador, demonstrating confidence in the airline’s future presence in supporting the region:
Transatlantic flights reconnecting Newfoundland and Labrador to the world
Elevating its growth strategy, the WestJet Group has reached significant milestones, bolstering the province’s network in 2024:
May 1, 2024, the WestJet Group restarted the highly anticipated service between St. John’s and London (Gatwick), providing the community with non-stop service to one of Europe’s most popular global travel hubs, filling the largest air access gap for the province.
This summer, St. John’s will gain a 35 per cent increase in seat capacity, as a result of the WestJet Group’s investments, compared to 2023.
The WestJet Group will operate 36 weekly flights out of St. John’s International Airport, during peak summer this year, a 20 per cent increase in total weekly flights, compared to 2023.
The WestJet Group will return service to Deer Lake this spring, with new non-stop seasonal service to Calgary on May 18, 2024 and the restart of service to Toronto on May 16, 2024.
The WestJet Group fulfills promise to satisfy demand through network schedule
The WestJet Group continues to elevate the province’s air connectivity by delivering the following network enhancements:
In alignment with the airline’s strategy, the WestJet Group is providing St. John’s with convenient access to popular leisure destinations, including year-round connectivity to Orlando, Florida and extended seasonal service to Tampa, Florida.
Ensuring St. John’s remains well-connected to Western Canada, the WestJet Group will provide St. John’s with year-round connectivity to WestJet’s global hub in Calgary, where guests are one flight away from an expansive list of international destinations, including Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan.
This year, the WestJet Group will provide direct connectivity to twelve unique destinations out of St. John’s, including four domestic destinations, two transborder destinations, five popular sun destinations, along with a transatlantic connection to London.
As an integral part of the WestJet Group, Sunwing will provide non-stop access to five key sun destinations, including Montego Bay, Cancun, Cayo Coco, Matanzas and Punta Cana from three critical communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, including, St. John’s, Deer Lake and Gander in 2024.
Routes from St. John’s:
This map represent The WestJet’s Group’s capacity comprising of WestJet and Sunwing Airlines service. (CNW Group/WESTJET, an Alberta Partnership)
Air Canada partners with renowned Québec artists Charlotte Cardin, Alexandra Stréliski and Sarahmée.
New platform will highlight three European cities and the music the artists listen to while visiting
Playlists will be available on Air Canada’s enRoute website and on Spotify
With its Un air de chez nous platform, Air Canada celebrates Québec culture by launching three musical guides created in collaboration with renowned Québec artists. Charlotte Cardin, Alexandra Stréliski and Sarahmée each present their beloved European city with a carefully curated musical playlist designed with their favourite places in mind.
Charlotte Cardin invites us into the intimacy of her home-away-from-home in Paris, while Sarahmée lets us tag along on her breathtaking adventures in Barcelona and Alexandra Stréliski gives us a taste of Amsterdam’s eclectic vibe. These musical travel guides are available on Air Canada’s enRoute website and on Spotify, beginning today, and offer a timely source of inspiration for travellers planning their summer travels to the old continent.
These three accomplished and very successful artists have had the opportunity to immerse themselves in and discover the many hidden treasures of great European cities. Their travel guides offer a reflection of their unique, personal experiences, packed with great recommendations for must-see places, all brought to you by Air Canada. Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam are among the 20 European destinations that are just a non-stop Air Canada flight away from Montréal.
Air Canada celebrates Québec culture by launching three musical guides created in collaboration with renowned Québec artists. (CNW Group/Air Canada)
Charlotte Cardin presents Paris
Whether you’re looking for the perfect café for a luscious flat white or the best place for a leisurely Sunday brunch, for two or for the whole family, the Montréal singer will lead you there, as if you were joining in on her own personal exploration of the City of Light. “I always take my friends and family members to Hôtel Amour because, for me, it’s the perfect place for a lovely brunch on a plant-filled terrace that somehow feels both private and lively,” says Charlotte Cardin, introducing a ballad that is close to her heart.
Alexandra Stréliski presents Amsterdam
“You really can’t go to the Netherlands without thinking about cycling. If there is one thing I recommend, it’s to get on a bicycle! […] I chose a Dutch artist that I have just discovered and that I like a lot. There is a very relaxing side to what she does that makes you feel like heading off on a ride and letting your thoughts flow free,” confides Alexandra Stréliski, and this light melodic track definitely gives us the urge to explore Amsterdam!
Sarahmée presents Barcelona
Sarahmée’s playlist showcases the richness and splendour of Barcelona. She takes us to the narrow streets of Poblenou, an iconic neighbourhood covered with magnificent frescos. “You really understand a city when you discover its street art […] When I see art, it really does my soul good. And this song has the same effect,” proclaims Sarahmée, speaking of a track from another of our very own artists.
Find the complete Musical Travel Guides on Air Canada’s enRoute website or listen to the playlists on Spotify:
Norse Atlantic Airways, the pioneering low-cost long-haul airline, has launched its first flight from LA (LAX) to Paris (CDG). The inaugural flight took off on May 1, 2024.
Travelers are now able to fly from LA to the French capital and prices start at just $239 one-way Economy (including taxes and fees) and $705 one-way in Norse Premium. Already, passengers can travel from LA to London Gatwick and Oslo with Norse.
Flights from LA (LAX) to Paris (CDG) will take place four times a week and will depart at 9:10 p.m. PDT and arrive at 5 p.m. the following day local time. Flights depart Paris (CDG) at 4:15 p.m. local time, arriving at LA (LAX) at 7:05 p.m. PDT the same day. Fares in Economy start from $238 one-way, including all taxes and fees.
On October 12, 2023, MYAir (Kuala Lumpur) announced that it had suspended operations effective immediately due to “severe financial challenges”.
As a result of the grounding, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) revoked the air operator’s certificate (AOC) effective April 15, 2024 after the company failed to find a new investor prior to the April 14 deadline.
Under the plan, Vistara will be merged into Air India.
Vistara is a joint venture of Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA), wherein Tata Sons holds 51% stake in partnership and Singapore Airlines owns 49% stake. The company is registered as TATA SIA Airlines Limited.
In 2013, two legendary brands, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, decided to fulfil a long-cherished shared dream to bring forth a distinguished flying experience to air travellers in India. With its strong historical ties with aviation, the Tata group had long wished to re-enter the aviation sector, after Tata Airlines was renamed Air India and eventually, nationalised. Both, Tata group and Singapore Airlines were also firm believers in the growth potential of the Indian aviation sector and hence tried to enter the market in the past; first, in 1994 by setting up a joint venture to start an airline in India and then in 2000, teaming up to purchase stakes in Air India. However, after the lifting of foreign investment restrictions in 2012, the partners once again sought approval for a tie-up, which it obtained in October 2013. On November 5, 2013, Vistara’s holding company, TATA SIA Airlines Limited, was incorporated.
The common goal of the joint venture is to redefine air travel in India to provide Indian travellers a seamless and personalised flying experience that blends Tata’s and SIA’s service excellence and legendary hospitality. The brand name ‘Vistara’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Vistaar’ that means ‘a limitless expanse’. The name Vistara draws inspiration from the world that Vistara inhabits, viz. the ‘limitless’ sky. The brand also draws stimulus from the image that passengers most associate with a smooth and enjoyable flight – the endless, blue horizon they see through the windows of an aircraft. As it aims to transform the flying experience of travellers in India, Vistara christens its brand tagline as ‘fly the new feeling’.
On January 9, 2015, Vistara started its operations with a maiden flight from Delhi to Mumbai. In a short span of time, Vistara has rapidly expanded its footprint, both in terms of network and service proposition. Vistara connects 50 destinations in and outside of India, and operates over 300 flights a day with a fleet of 70 aircraft including 53 Airbus A320neo, 10 Airbus A321neo and 7 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Vistara has already flown more than 50 million happy customers since starting operations.
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