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Victoria International Airport (YYJ)


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#4521 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 09:22 AM

I would assume this is related to the economy in Alberta? Fewer workers heading to the oil fields, perhaps? Vic-Edm has traditionally been a staple with multiple carriers operating non-stop flights.

 

Prior to summer 2018 with Flair and Air Canada service, and summer 2017 with NewLeaf, the YYJ-YEG route had been solely operated by WestJet for many, many years. Air Canada was the last operator prior to summer 2017, when they did a single summer seasonal Edmonton flight in summer 2007. So basically we went 10 years with just WestJet operating regularly scheduled YYJ-YEG flights, and even before then it was still just WestJet aside from that summer 2007 season.



#4522 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 09:57 AM

What I mean is every new Canadian entrant to YYJ's roster has offered a YYJ-EDM flight as their initial route. Even Jetlines has YYJ-EDM as their sole proposed Victoria service.


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#4523 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 10:49 AM

That's not really true though. It's really only happened recently with one airline (NewLeaf/Flair), and as you mention, potentially Jetlines in the future though that's another story altogether. Prior to that, new entrants' first offerings included Jetsgo to Toronto, ZIP to Calgary, Harmony Airways to Honolulu, etc. There's a bit of a recency bias there, as we haven't had many new Canadian entrants to YYJ in the past 20 years. Most have been smaller regional airlines that have stuck within BC. Of the more national carriers, it's really only NewLeaf/Flair that started with YEG in the past 20 years. In fact, I believe the last new entrant to begin with YYJ-YEG prior to NewLeaf was WestJet when they launched with Edmonton and Calgary in February 1996. Perhaps I'm missing others.


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#4524 vortoozo

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 11:07 AM

YYJ-YEG was a fairly surprising add by AC as it doesn't touch a hub. AC service from YEG hits a few regional destinations and LHR but otherwise just service to other hubs, and nothing that you wouldn't be able to get to via YVR/YYC/YYZ.

Looks like they couldn't generate enough point to point traffic on the route. Not surprised, to be honest.

But at least it shows that they (both AC & YYJ) are trying.


Edited by vortoozo, 03 April 2019 - 11:07 AM.


#4525 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 12:06 PM

Hmm, you’re right shoe. Thanks for that.

I recall flying to Edmonton on Canadian Airlines 737-200’s back in the day. Back then Canadian, AC and Westjet all competed for Edmonton passengers, did they not? And didn’t Jetsgo offer an Edmonton flight in addition to Toronto/Montreal?

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#4526 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 01:15 PM

Canadian Airlines was definitely operating a YYJ-YEG flight when they were taken over by Air Canada. WestJet was also operating that route at the time. Not sure about AC though.

 

Jetsgo launched with YYJ-YYZ non-stop with onward "direct" travel to Ottawa and Montreal in summer 2004, but then changed to a Victoria-Edmonton-Toronto routing a couple months before they went belly up in March 2005.



#4527 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 01:31 PM

Right, I thought I remembered Jetsgo servicing Edmonton. I still remember when AC cancelled its Edmonton flight leaving only Westjet with the service.

 

So out of the pan-Canadian carriers that entered our market, Zip and Tango didn't connect Edmonton, but the rest did (save for Harmony which was a vacation carrier). And are we sure about Tango?

 

What about Canada3000? I know they offered a sunny destination-Victoria-Vancouver flight with an A330 before they folded, but did they have any other connections out of YYJ?


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#4528 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 01:33 PM

Ah, tango ran a Calgary-Toronto flight.


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#4529 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 01:49 PM

When Canada 3000 went belly up in 2001, they were only operating 1x weekly Victoria-Honolulu. Royal Airlines also served that route for a short period in the late 90's. Don't think Canada 3000 did anything else out of YYJ. Skyservice has also done the charter game with either Vegas or Mexico...can't quite remember. One of those three did Toronto for a time...one even did Winnipeg one summer.

 

And yes, Tango was YYJ-YYC-YYZ routing.


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#4530 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 01:51 PM

Looking at the Swoop flight map now, I can't believe Victoria isn't served while Kelowna is. What in the world is going on? We're shedding carriers one after another, while new entrants forgo the Island as well.


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#4531 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:06 PM

Keep in mind that most Swoop flights to date have just replaced existing lower-yield WestJet routes for domestic travel. Even where they are "new" routes, it was just airport shifts (for instance, WestJet operated London-Vancouver, but that was replaced by London-Abbotsford on Swoop). Swoop did this with Kelowna, overtaking the previously seasonal WestJet flights to Vegas and Winnipeg (although WestJet hadn't flown Vegas in a couple years).

 

I don't really see what benefit Swoop would get from Victoria. WestJet already dominates Edmonton and Calgary travel out of YYJ, so no need for them to shift those routes to Swoop. Maybe they could go year-round to Hamilton, but I think Victoria travelers are happy to pay a bit more to fly into Pearson. What else could Swoop do here...summer seasonal Winnipeg service perhaps?



#4532 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:18 PM

So Swoop really does sound like a tactic to kill ULCC’s, then fold.

Jetlines makes even more sense now. Flair is rebranding, btw.

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#4533 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:22 PM

^^to quite possibly the ugliest livery in the airline industry.

 

5430465.jpg



#4534 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:25 PM

Oh my god. That’s awful.

Hey, were we aware that Airbus is cancelling the A380 program in 2021?

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#4535 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:27 PM

One of the best aviation YouTubers Sam Chui has a great video on the end of the A380 program.

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=HmHjI9Z_vbI



#4536 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:29 PM

Here’s an interesting little theory. Indigo Partners ordered about 430 A320 and A321’s a couple of years ago. The investment firm has been quietly looking at the Canadian market for its ULCC investments, and with Jetlines switching gears last year to Airbus in lieu of Boeing and stalling for a year (some say fleecing Swoop), one has to wonder if Indigo has its hand somewhere in that pocket?

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#4537 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:35 PM

^^Indigo has partnered with Enerjet to help them launch their own ULCC (FlyToo) in Canada. I suppose they could make investments in both airlines, or try to negotiate a merger.



#4538 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:40 PM

Hmm...

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#4539 shoeflack

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 02:47 PM

One thing I'll say about Jetlines...they don't exactly have any secrets (or so it seems anyways). They put out a press release for every single thing they do. Also keep in mind that Jetlines secured its Airbus leases from AerCap, who is a major competitor of Indigo...so that might kill that little theory.



#4540 Mike K.

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Posted 03 April 2019 - 03:03 PM

Being a publicly traded company comes with certain requirements and responsibilities towards shareholders that privately held firms don’t have.

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