8844 replies to this topic

[Missed Approach]

I hope this over saturation of routes out of Victoria doesn't fall flat on these airlines. Already fragile passenger numbers could collapse. Maybe a uptick in the late summer as students return to school, I just worry some of the new routes won't last till Aug. 

 

https://canadianavia...itish-columbia/

[vortoozo]

I hope this over saturation of routes out of Victoria doesn't fall flat on these airlines. Already fragile passenger numbers could collapse. Maybe a uptick in the late summer as students return to school, I just worry some of the new routes won't last till Aug. 

 

https://canadianavia...itish-columbia/

 

I wonder why Westjet is competing against themselves by duplicating routes with Westjet and Swoop. I don't think that's been their business model thus far. Both Toronto and Edmonton will see service on both carriers.

[Victoria Watcher]

the air Canada and transat deal is off after European regulators would not accept it as is.

[Missed Approach]

Victoria " International " Airport

 

www.saanichnews.com/news/transport-canada-says-victoria-airports-absence-from-list-wont-impact-ability-to-handle-international-flights/

[Victoria Watcher]

One person has been taken to hospital after a small plane crashed at Boundary Bay airport in Delta, B.C. on Saturday morning.

 

Delta Fire say the lone occupant was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital with unspecified injuries.

 

The plane crashed near the airport's runway.

 

Battalion Chief David Eastman says fire crews dealt with a small fire that erupted in the Cessna's engine compartment.

 

He says he's unsure about why the plane crashed, adding that police and the Transportation Safety Board were investigating.

 

Eastman says it's unusual to have a crash like this at the airport.

 

 

https://www.timescol...port-1.24305748

 

 

 

 

 

 

is it that odd to have a plane crash at or near an airport?  isn't that where most plane crashes occur?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 April 2021 - 05:06 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The federal government will announce a multibillion-dollar relief package for Air Canada and parts of the industry on Monday evening, after months of negotiations between Ottawa and the sector, sources have told The Globe and Mail.

 

Michael Sabia, the veteran corporate executive recently recruited as deputy minister of finance, has finalized a package, according to three sources with knowledge of the negotiations. The Globe is not identifying the sources because they were not authorized to discuss the talks publicly.

 

Equity stakes have been ruled out, so the rescue package, which the sources said will be worth billions of dollars, is expected to be a mix of low-cost loans and wage subsidies, and to come with restrictions related to executive compensation. Two of the sources said the package would ensure key regional routes would be maintained and that current orders for aircraft would not be cancelled if jobs in Canada were affected. It is unclear whether equipment purchases are part of the package.

 

One source said the government will announce a fund from which airlines can draw to refund customers for flights cancelled because of the pandemic. Air Canada has $2.3-billion in prepaid fares, including cancelled flights, according to company documents.

 

 

https://www.theglobe...for-air-canada/

[Victoria Watcher]

Air Canada announced today that it has entered into a series of debt and equity financing agreements with the Government of Canada, which will allow Air Canada to access up to $5.879 billion in liquidity through the Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) program.

 

"Air Canada entered the pandemic more than a year ago with one of the global airline industry's strongest balance sheets relative to its size. We have since raised an additional $6.8 billion in liquidity from our own resources to sustain us through the pandemic, as air traffic ground to a virtual halt in Canada and internationally," said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

 

https://ca.travelpul...-announced.html

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 12 April 2021 - 03:31 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Australian airline Qantas announced plans to operate three domestic mystery flights that explore the country while international borders remain closed.

 

The three dedicated Boeing 737 mystery experiences will include not only a ticket for the flight, but also an entire day of activities in a mystery destination, all of which are outside major capital cities.

 

Qantas’ mystery flights will depart from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to a destination within approximately two hours and include low-level scenic flybys of key landmarks en route. To help travelers prepare the appropriate luggage, they will be provided clues about the destination.

 

 

https://www.travelpu...stinations.html

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 13 April 2021 - 08:52 AM.

[Mike K.]

Will the people in the mystery locations know big city covideers are headed their way?

[vortoozo]

Will the people in the mystery locations know big city covideers are headed their way?

 

There are under 150 active covid cases in Australia.

[Victoria Watcher]

There are under 150 active covid cases in Australia.

compared to 102,000 currently in Canada.

[Mike K.]

I thought that low COVID cases mean nothing, because COVID is in every community?

[Torrontes]

They were smart and closed their borders, not like Canada. Easier to accomplish if you are an Island.

 

Wait a minute, we are on an Island? Yes, but obviously some people with power still wanted to go skiing at Whistler, apparently with friends from Brazil.

[vortoozo]

I thought that low COVID cases mean nothing, because COVID is in every community?

 

That's not true. There are a couple of provinces with zero active cases.

[Victoria Watcher]

i know some friends with no power that went skiiing at whistler.

[Spy Black]

Australia is, for all intents and purposes, 99% back to normal.

 

https://variety.com/...ler-1234939993/

 

It's not absolutely "normal" as the audience is still wearing masks inside the theatre, but the theatre is being sold at 100% capacity, and is sold out now for months down the road.

 

Now let's look at Canada ... there's just no question that on a local, regional, and national level ... Canada has dropped the ball over and over and over again, and continues to drop the ball every single day, even now.

I'm still a "rule follower", and will continue to rigidly follow the rules (that's what we do in a civilized society) ... but I couldn't ever in good faith vote again for either Trudeau, or for the B.C. NDP ... to say it's been a Laurel and Hardy show at both regional and national levels would be an understatement.

 

Canada is on its knees begging third world countries for vaccines, with only about 6 million of the some 37 million Canadians having been vaccinated to date ... all while Australia is tipping champagne glasses at Hamilton's sold out, 100% capacity shows.

Edited by Spy Black, 13 April 2021 - 04:59 PM.

[vortoozo]

I'm still a "rule follower", and will continue to rigidly follow the rules (that's what we do in a civilized society) ... but I couldn't ever in good faith vote again for either Trudeau, or for the B.C. NDP ... to say it's been a Laurel and Hardy show at both regional and national levels would be an understatement.

 

What Canadian party would have been more likely to follow the Australian playbook? Certainly not the Conservatives.

The Greens maybe? They're the ones calling for stronger lockdowns, which is how Australia got ahead of things.

[vortoozo]

Canada is on its knees begging third world countries for vaccines, with only about 6 million of the some 37 million Canadians having been vaccinated to date ... all while Australia is tipping champagne glasses at Hamilton's sold out, 100% capacity shows.

 

One more thing to note here, Australia has under 1% of their population vaccinated.

Although things were quicker to get back to normal domestically, it will be a few years yet before the borders open. That's bound to have significant long term impact on the economy. I'm not sure if Canada could have realistically followed a similar path.

[Spy Black]

Perhaps not a "similar" path, certainly not an "identical path" ... but something!

An associate of mine who lives in Tofino tells me that there was literally no parking spaces to be had in town last weekend, with pretty well every single one of those cars being non-local (out of towners are the only folks who can overflow Tofino parking), with many vehicles sporting Vancouver car dealership stickers, and more than a few license plates from the United States.

 

And yet Horgan won't restrict ridiculously discretionary travel to Vancouver Island at the B.C. Ferries choke points.

He could do the same thing at the Provincial borders, and at both north/south B.C. highways (at for example, 70 Mile House and Clearwater) in order to further divide B.C. into workable regions that don't allow for discretionary travel across boundaries.

 

That's just a single example of the B.C. government dropping the ball, despite massive will on the part of residents of Vancouver Island to enact a travel ban to the Island ... and sadly, there are many more such examples to be had ... examples of the B.C. Gov't making ridiculously poor decisions that are perpetuating the multiple waves of COVID.

 

Even the Maritimes aren't afraid to ruffle a few feathers over and over again ... indeed PEI RCMP would (and will again) turn you back at the Confederation Bridge if you didn't live in PEI ... and PEI and the other Maritime provinces are once again about to put another bubble in place as COVID numbers rise ... and yet B.C. continues to do absolutely nothing beyond putting restaurants, theatres and gyms out of business with poorly planned, and seemingly completely off-the-cuff rules and regulations that don't even start to focus on the real issue behind COVID transmission, which is quite obviously inter and extra Provincial travel.

 

Restaurants, theatres, and gyms are all 100% open in Australia because they closed borders ... something B.C. could do in a heartbeat, which would allow for Vancouver Island locals to safely patronize restaurants, theatres, and gyms ... rather than shutting down business while continuing to allow Canadians from all parts of Canada to visit Vancouver Island ... and more than a few Americans who skirt the wimpy Federal travel restrictions by arriving in Canada by air, and manipulating the system such that they can fulfil their tourist desires here in B.C. ... all in the middle of a still-raging pandemic.

 

As noted above, I could never again in good conscience support the B.C.NDP (despite having done so fo the past 30 years), and could certainly never support Trudeau again, a classic example of a failed leader, who, as noted above, has left Canada on its knees begging other countries for vaccines while he drives the country into a national debt that will take generations to pay off.

 

You get rid of COVID by sucking it up, enforcing real short-term lockdowns, and closing borders ... exactly as New Zealand and Australia have demonstrated to great success.

Edited by Spy Black, 14 April 2021 - 07:12 AM.

[Mike K.]

I saw the Tofino Bus zoom by me yesterday, fwiw.