This week: Malindo Air is to begin a new service to India; Flydubai expands presence in Russia; Air Canada rouge to introduce Caribbean service from Routes Americas 2019 host.
Canada’s 150th anniversary is the ideal time to visit a vast country that offers something different at every turn, yet the surprises don’t extend to the downtrodden aviation industry that may soon see its fortunes change.
Air Canada provided an insight into its future thinking following the simultaneous unveiling of its new corporate livery at ceremonies in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver on February 9, 2017 as the carrier prepares to enter its 80th anniversary year. The brand refresh continues a recent evolution at the Canadian flag carrier that has helped better position in the global market serving both business and leisure demands through its mainline and Air Canada rouge operations.
The air service development team at Dublin Airport have identified a number of unserved markets in Asia that can sustain regular scheduled flights to the Republic of Ireland’s capital city and are attending Routes Asia in Manila, Philippines to fill these network gaps. It particularly sees a notable role for Asia’s Star Alliance members at Dublin Airport having grown the number of airline members using the airport from this summer.
Air Canada continues to strategically grow its international network at Vancouver. This new seasonal route follows the recent announcement of several enhancements at the airline's Vancouver International Airport hub for 2016, including new Transborder services to Chicago, San Jose and San Diego, double daily flights to London Heathrow, and the only flights linking Canada to Brisbane, Australia.
Subject to obtaining the necessary government approvals, Air Canada rouge, the operator’s leisure business, will introduce a four times weekly link between Montreal and Casablanca from June 3, 2016. The route will be operated using a 280-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft offering a choice of premium and economy cabins and will continue through to October 17, 2016.
Air Canada will use its leisure airline, Air Canada rouge to add flights to Budapest, Glasgow and Warsaw and resume a link to Prague last served in the 1970s, while Air Transat will offer new flights from Canada to Glasgow, Nice, Pisa, Rome and Zagreb.
Flag carrier, Air Canada has further expanded its European network with the addition of new non-stop services to Lyon in France and London's Gatwick airport, due to commence in summer 2016.
The new flight, operated by a 280-seat Boeing 767-300ER will fly on a twice weekly basis through to October 11, 2015, complementing the airline’s existing link to Venice from Toronto’s Lester B Pearson International Airport for summer 2015, meaning it now offers more seats between Canada and Venice during the peak summer season than any other airline.
In its first summer season, Air Canada rouge offered an up to daily link between Toronto and Dublin using a Boeing 767-300ER, but reverted to a three times weekly offering through the current winter schedule. According to its schedules, frequencies will increase again from late April 2015, growing to ten times weekly in mid-June and up to eleven times weekly from the end of that month through to the end of August.
Nigel Mayes, ASM senior vice president consulting and product development and Mike St-Laurent, senior consultant, explore the dynamics of the Canadian market.This article is from Issue 1, Volume 11 of Routes News for 2015.
Air Canada says it will continue to evaluate future market opportunities as new aircraft are introduced into its mainline fleet and existing aircraft are released for operation by Air Canada rouge as market demand warrants.
The latest schedule update from the airline includes the introduction of new non-stop services from Calgary to Terrace and Nanaimo; from Vancouver to Comox; from Toronto to Austin and from Montreal to Mexico City. Air Canada is also switching its existing Toronto-Kelowna and Toronto-Sydney, NS services to Air Canada rouge due to the high volumes of leisure traffic on the routes, while Air Canada rouge will also introduce a new domestic seasonal link between Calgary and Halifax.
Canada has long been a seasonal market from Dublin, but this winter the airport will boast two new year-round scheduled services to Toronto. Irish carrier Aer Lingus will operate Dublin-Toronto up to four times per week while Air Canada’s leisure brand Air Canada rouge will fly three times per week between the two cities.
Air Canada says it will continue to evaluate future market opportunities as new aircraft are introduced into its mainline fleet and existing aircraft are released for operation by Air Canada rouge as market demand warrants. Since the launch in July 2013 of Air Canada rouge, Air Canada has deployed its leisure carrier to a growing number of Caribbean, European and select sun destinations in the United States.
