22°c Partly cloudy
18°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
AirCan aims right at WestJet
Launches short-haul Express carrier
An Air Canada Express Q400 at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport. (POSTMEDIA)
Related Items
MONTREAL -- Air Canada launched its regional service in rival WestJet's backyard on Friday with the introduction of Bombardier Q400 turboprops.
The Montreal-based carrier said the first flights connected Calgary to Fort McMurray, Alta., Regina and Saskatoon. Nine additional routes will be added over the coming months.
Air Canada also said it plans to increase capacity on key routes in the spring and summer by using larger aircraft, adding flights to "meet strong demand" and roll out additional turboprops to routes in British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, said Marcel Forget, the airline's vice-president of network planning.
Capacity will be added to 18 routes involving Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, with some routes seeing a doubling in available seats. Capacity will also grow 24 per cent starting in May between Toronto and Fort McMurray.
The 76-seat Q400 planes will be operated by Jazz Aviation under the Air Canada Express brand and replace 50-seat CRJ100/200 jets.
Calgary-based WestJet was slated to announce in January its own regional service plans using the Q400 turboprops, but that has been delayed until February.
The company reports its quarterly results Feb. 6.
WestJet Encore will initially service either eastern or western routes starting in the second half of 2013, followed nine months later by the other half of the country. It expects to add up to 45 Q400s over five years.
WestJet president Gregg Saretsky has said the service will reduce airfares on regional routes by about half of the full fare.
Air Canada has vowed to respond to lower fares promised by WestJet with its new regional service.
Meanwhile, the airline's low-cost carrier has begun hiring the first 150 flight attendants based in Toronto for the July 1 launch of service to Europe and the Caribbean.
Air Canada Rouge will begin operations with two Boeing 767-300ER and two Airbus A319 aircraft that will be released from Air Canada's mainline fleet. Additional planes will be added as Air Canada starts to take delivery of new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in 2014, ramping up to 50 planes.
Timing of the Boeing 787 deliveries has been in doubt because of a suspected battery problem that has grounded the worldwide fleet.
The discount airline will start with flights from Toronto to Venice, Italy and Edinburgh, Scotland -- two destinations that currently aren't served by Air Canada, and will serve Athens, Greece from Toronto and Montreal.
Air Canada's existing flights to Cuba, the Dominican Republican, Jamaica and Costa Rica will be flown by the discount carrier from Toronto.
On the Toronto Stock Exchange, Air Canada's shares gained three cents to close at $2.47 in Friday trading, while WestJet was up 74 cents or 3.46 per cent, to $22.10.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 2, 2013 B17
More Business
- Back to Top
- Return to Business
More Business
(1 of 50 articles for today)
Southern Calif.-based burger chain Johnny Rockets sold to private equity firm
10:56 PM 0ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Johnny Rockets, the Southern California-based burger chain with 1950s flair, has been sold to a private ...
Poll
Most Popular Business
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Shark Club opens in citiplace
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Magellan signs MOU to produce F-35 tails
- Carriers turned off by Canada's wireless law
- Local business incubator gets new name
- NY, Va. 7-Eleven stores raided as US accuses owners and managers of exploiting immigrants
- U.S. hedge fund increases its ownership stake in Tim Hortons to 5.5%
- Mountain Equipment Co-op unveils new logo, name to appeal to urban customers
- St. Vital Centre's energy savings help managers snag BOMA awards
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Shark Club opens in citiplace
- Aircraft maintenance engineer taking off
- Two CBC reporters freed after being detained in Turkey
- St. Vital Centre's energy savings help managers snag BOMA awards
- Toronto condo market poses economic risk to Canada
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Fund helps entrepreneurs fly
- Canadian credit unions an eye-opener
- New owner for lumber stores
- Earls Pembina says goodbye after 18 years
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- Grove Pub to take over former home of Papa George's
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Where is easy street? Survey of city's richest routes may surprise
- Custom-made suits no longer just for the ultra-wealthy
- Eateries brace for Blue blitz
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- Warren Buffett -- Winnipeg-style
- Knights riding in with cash to spend
- Transcona transformation
- Target exceeds sales goal at Canadian stores
- The $2-million question
- Bombardier wins German locomotive rail order potentially worth US$2 billion
- Magellan signs MOU to produce F-35 tails
- CFIA suspends licence of Edmonton's Aliya's Foods Ltd. over inspection rules
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- McMunn & Yates absorbs five McDiarmid locations
- Toronto condo market poses economic risk to Canada
- Cutting edge, made-in-Manitoba tech finds buyer -- in Manitoba
- Google unveils Internet beaming balloons launched into stratosphere
- Warren Buffett -- Winnipeg-style
- Fund helps entrepreneurs fly
- St. Vital Centre's energy savings help managers snag BOMA awards
- Daycare-subsidy rules bad for business
- New owner for lumber stores
- New owner for lumber stores
- Snowbirds: It's that time of year again
- Sobeys expanding reach in Western Canada with Safeway acquisition
- Custom-made suits no longer just for the ultra-wealthy
- New rules let customers cancel phone contracts without penalty after two years
- Where is easy street? Survey of city's richest routes may surprise
- Value Partners cracks $1-B mark in assets
- MTS to sell Allstream to Egyptian investment group, focus on Manitoba market
- Manitoba Movers
- Grove Pub to take over former home of Papa George's
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.