Aviation
Monthly Aircraft Movements: Major airports – NAV CANADA Towers and Flight Service Stations, January 2018

Analysis

There were 356,096 aircraft take-offs and landings at the 91 Canadian airports with NAV CANADA air traffic control towers and flight service stations in January, compared with 368,525 movements in January 2017.

In January 2018, a reduction in both local movements (flights that remain in the vicinity of the airport) and itinerant movements (flights from one airport to another) contributed to the year-over-year decrease. Local movements declined 8.5% to 87,969 and itinerant movements fell 1.5% to 268,127.

Overall, air traffic decreased 3.4% in January 2018, as 45 airports reported fewer movements from the same month the previous year. Year-over-year variations of more than 1,000 movements were reported at nine airports. Of these, six posted decreases, ranging from a reduction of 5,686 movements at Boundary Bay, British Columbia, to a decrease of 1,008 movements at Abbotsford, British Columbia.  Increases at the remaining three airports were recorded at Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario (+2,277 movements), Edmonton/Villeneuve, Alberta (+1,868) and Toronto/Buttonville Municipal, Ontario (+1,060).

Itinerant traffic decreased 1.5%, as 48 airports reported fewer movements in January 2018. The largest declines were observed at Boundary Bay (-2,308 movements), Pitt Meadows, British Columbia (-1,808), Victoria International, British Columbia (-1,541) and Fredericton International, New Brunswick (-1,488). The largest increases in movements were recorded at Kitchener/Waterloo (+879) and Edmonton International, Alberta (+647).

In January 2018, 44 airports recorded lower levels of local activity compared to the same month a year earlier. As a result, local movements decreased by 8,214 movements. Year-over-year variations ranged from a decrease of 3,378 movements at Boundary Bay, to an increase of 1,398 movements at Kitchener/Waterloo.

Itinerant movements: domestic, transborder and international

Domestic itinerant movements (within Canada) declined to 213,751 in January 2018, a 2.5% reduction from the same month the previous year. The largest decreases occurred at Boundary Bay (-2,284 movements) and Pitt Meadows (-1,798). The biggest increases were recorded at Kitchener/Waterloo (+875), Edmonton International (+565) and Calgary/Springbank, Alberta (+538).

During the month, 67 airports reported 37,238 transborder (between Canada and the United States) itinerant movements, up 0.8% from the level reported in January 2017. The largest increases were observed at Vancouver International, British Columbia (+417 movements) and Hamilton, Ontario (+106).The largest decreases in traffic were recorded at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International, Ontario (-236) and Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International, Nova Scotia (-97).

In January 2018, 36 airports reported a total of 17,138 other international itinerant movements, up 6.0% from the same period the previous year. Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International was the busiest airport with 7,525 movements, followed by Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International, Quebec (3,316 movements) and Vancouver International (2,660). Together, these three airports accounted for 79% of all other international itinerant movements during the month.

Factors which may have influenced the data

On January 28, 2018, a heavy rain warning was issued for the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. According to Environment Canada, 40 to 50 millimeters of rain were expected to fall at the Pitt Meadows airport by the end of the day.

On January 14, 2018, Environment Canada issued a fog advisory for Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, warning of near zero visibility. The advisory covered all of Metro Vancouver, extending to west and north Vancouver, southwest and east to Richmond, Delta, Surrey and Langley, and northeast to Coquitlam and Maple Ridge.

On January 13, 2018, a major winter storm with rain, wind and snow affected eastern Canada from southern Ontario to Atlantic Canada.

On January 12, 2018, snowy winter weather and freezing temperatures resulted in the cancellation of more than 200 departures (20%) and 159 arrivals (18%) at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Ontario.

On January 11, 2018, hazardous winter conditions were expected in the Fraser Valley in British Columbia as Environment Canada extended a winter storm warning. The storm occurred less than two weeks after ice and snow caused major power outages throughout the valley. At one point more than 50,000 customers were without power in the region.

On January 10, 2018, Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning for eastern Ontario. In response,  Air Canada warned passengers of possible delays due to the expectation of up to 4 millimeters of freezing rain.

On January 4, 2018, a powerful winter storm, or “bomb cyclone” hit the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada, causing thousands of flight cancellations at various airports. Snowfall accumulation in parts of New Brunswick peaked at 60 cm. By the morning of January 4, flights in and out of U.S. cities impacted by the storm had caused approximately 15% of all flights to be cancelled at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International.  All flights were suspended at New York’s John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports. Flights from most airports resumed on January 5, however there were still numerous delays and cancellations. By January 7th, many airports were still struggling to cope with a backlog of flights.

On January 2, 2018, as the deep freeze continued, Air Canada extended the alert to January 4, 2018.

On January 1, 2018, Air Canada issued a travel alert for passengers using airports in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa due to a deep freeze that brought extreme cold, snow, and icy conditions. Nearly 500 flights at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International were either delayed or cancelled.

In early January, 2018, Air New Zealand increased capacity on its Vancouver International, British Columbia route, moving from seven to eight weekly flights.

On December 29, 2017, WestJet began service from Hamilton, Ontario, to Las Vegas, Nevada. This seasonal service will run twice weekly until April 27, 2018.

On December 29, 2017, Air Canada advised passengers that flights at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson and Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ontario may be impacted due to the extreme cold weather conditions.

On December 28, 2017, WestJet issued an alert effective for Toronto until January 1, 2018, advising passengers that the weather conditions may cause delays or cancellations.

On December 28, 2017, freezing rain fell throughout the Fraser Valley. The weather resulted in some flight delays at Abbotsford, British Columbia. By the next day the freezing rain warning was extended to Metro Vancouver, especially in Surrey and Langley.

On December 26, 2017, Environment Canada issued extreme cold warnings for most of Alberta, the Prairies, Ontario and Western Quebec. The cold conditions were predicted to last until the weekend.

On December 23, 2017, Air Transat started service from Hamilton to Cancun, Mexico and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

On December 22, 2017, Air Transat began service from Hamilton to Cayo Coco, Cuba and Puerto Plata.

On December 21, 2017, Air Transat started seasonal service from Hamilton to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

On December 21, 2017, Air Transat began service from London, Ontario to Cancun and Riviera Maya, both in Mexico. This seasonal service will run once per week until April 5, 2018.

On December 21, 2017, Porter Airlines resumed twice weekly winter service to Burlington, Vermont, from Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. This seasonal service will operate until March 27, 2018.

On December 20, 2017, Air Transat began service from London to Punta Cana and Santo Domingo, both in the Dominican Republic. This seasonal service will run once per week until April 11, 2018.

On December 20, 2017, Sunwing started seasonal service from Hamilton to Varadero, Cuba.

On December 20, 2017, Sunwing began direct service from London to Cayo Coco. The service will operate until March 28, 2018.

On December 18, 2017, WestJet began service from Moncton/Greater Moncton International, New Brunswick to Orlando, Florida. This seasonal service will run until February 26, 2018, and recommence from March 5 to April 23, 2018.

On December 18, 2017, Sunwing began service from London to Montego Bay, Jamaica. This seasonal service will run once per week until March 26, 2018.

On December 18, 2017, Air Canada operated its inaugural flight from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport to Cartagena, Columbia. Since the beginning of December, Air Canada also began operation of the following new services:  Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International to Belize; Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International, Quebec to Lima, Peru and Vancouver International to both Melbourne, Australia and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

On December 17, 2017, Sunwing began its first ever vacation packages from Abbotsford. Service from Abbotsford to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, will run weekly until April 8, 2018.

On December 17, 2017, Sunwing started seasonal service from Hamilton to Montego Bay.

On December 17, 2017, Philippine Airlines (PAL) launched its first non-stop direct flight from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport to Manila, Philippines. PAL said it will operate non-stop Manila-Toronto and Toronto-Manila flights on a regular, four times per week schedule.

On December 16, 2017, Synergy Aviation Flight Training held its inaugural “Soarin’ with Santa” event at the Edmonton/Villeneuve airport, Alberta.

On December 16, 2017, Porter Airlines added non-stop weekly flights from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport and from Windsor, Ontario to Orlando-Melbourne, Florida. These are Porter’s first U.S. flights from airports outside of its main base at Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The service will run until March 31, 2018.

On December 15, 2017, Flair Air made its inaugural flight between Kelowna Airport, British Columbia and Vancouver International Airport.

On December 14, 2017, Sunwing began service from London to Varadero. This seasonal service will run once per week until April 5, 2018.

On December 14, 2017, WestJet Encore began daily service from Vancouver International to both Comox, British Columbia and Nanaimo, British Columbia.

On December 8, 2017, Porter Airlines began winter service between Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Mont Tremblant, Quebec. Flights are available until April 2, 2018, with service up to five times weekly.

Between December 7 and December 14, 2017, Air Canada reported that fog and low cloud ceilings at Castlegar Airport, British Columbia, caused 55 out of 56 flights to be cancelled.

On December 2, 2017, WestJet began service from London to Orlando. This seasonal service will run once per week until April 28, 2018.

On December 1, 2017, Air Canada began the first ever non-stop flights between Canada and Melbourne. The seasonal service will run from Vancouver International Airport four times per week until February 4, 2018.

In December, 2017, West Wind Aviation, based in Saskatoon, Stony Rapids and La Ronge, Saskatchewan, voluntarily suspended all flying operations.

On November 21, 2017, college students across Ontario returned to class after the longest college faculty strike (5 weeks) in the province’s history.  Activity at several airports was impacted as flights operated by college aviation programs in Ontario were affected.

On November 13, 2017, it was announced that Sarliaq Aviation, a Nunavut-based company, in partnership with Quebec transporter Nolinor Aviation, had signed a 10-year agreement with Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. to provide air transportation for employees and cargo from Montréal and Abiti-Temiscamingue to the company’s mining projects in the Kivalliq region in Nunavut.  The new agreement will add flights to Rankin Inlet, in addition to Nolinor’s existing transport to Agnico Eagle’s Meadowbank open-pit gold mine, near Baker Lake. In all, Nolinor will be providing 416 flights per year, or eight flights per week to Nunavut.

On November 11, 2017, WestJet began seasonal service from Abbotsford to Puerto Vallarta.

On November 8, 2017, low visibility prompted the cancellation of 44 flights at Kelowna Airport.

On November 8, 2017, due to the impact of Hurricane Maria, Air Canada announced it would be suspending all flights to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the 2017-2018 winter season.

On November 7, 2017, flights were grounded at Goose Bay Airport, Newfoundland and Labrador, after snow clearing crews noticed that material used to seal cracks in the runway was coming loose and sticking to tires. Commercial flights by PAL Airlines, Air Borealis and Air Canada were all affected. The runways reopened on Friday, November 10.

On November 6, 2017, FLYGTA Airlines added daily service from Toronto/Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Barrie-Orillia-Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, Ontario and to the Kitchener/Waterloo Airport, Ontario.

On November 3, 2017, one of two new flight options from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia began, as Ethiopian Airlines marked five years of service between the two cities. In December, 2017, the airline will add one more, increasing the weekly departures from three to five.

Effective November 3, 2017, WestJet began new non-stop weekly service between Calgary International Airport, Alberta and Belize City, Belize.

On November 2, 2017, WestJet began non-stop service from Edmonton International Airport, Alberta and Huatulco, Mexico.

Beginning in November, 2017, WestJet began seasonal service between Hamilton and Orlando.

In November 2017, Sunwing Airlines introduced seasonal non-stop flights from Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International to Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda (beginning November 26), Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International to Antigua (beginning November 10) and Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International to Cayo Largo, Cuba (beginning November 7).

Starting in November 2017, Air Canada changed the frequency and routing for its overseas flights between Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield Airport, Nova Scotia and London Heathrow, United Kingdom. The previously scheduled 4/week Halifax-London Heathrow flights were reduced to two weekly flights operating as Halifax-St John’s International, Newfoundland and Labrador-London Heathrow.

On October 29, 2017, Westjet began new non-stop weekly service between Vancouver International Airport and Huatulco. The service is part of the airline’s seasonal schedule for the winter of 2017-2018.

Starting the week of October 29, 2017, WestJet added an additional eight weekly flights between Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport and Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, bringing the total to 85 weekly flights. Additionally, WestJet’s seasonal summer service of six weekly flights between Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport and Edmonton International Airport will now operate year-round. It previously offered the direct flights only between May and October.

Beginning on October 28, 2017, Korean Air Cargo launched regular scheduled, once weekly service to Edmonton International Airport, with a Boeing 747-8 freighter.

On October 27, 2017, due to the impact of Hurricane Maria on the island, Air Canada announced it had suspended all flights to Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten for the 2017-2018 winter season. Other Canadian carriers also announced that they would be suspending flights for the fall-winter 2017-2018 season.

On October 25, 2017, Delta Airlines terminated the daily flight between Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport, Quebec, and John F. Kennedy Airport.

On October 15, 2017, WestJet commenced twice daily service between Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts.

On October 10, 2017, an Antonov An-124 landed at Thunder Bay Airport, Ontario for the second time since August, 2017. It was the largest aircraft that has ever landed at this airport and was carrying parts for the Bombardier assembly line.

On October 10, 2017, Oshawa Airport, Ontario reopened after a runway rehabilitation project, which had both runways at the airport closed for five weeks.

On October 4, 2017, American Airlines ended seasonal service between Québec/Jean Lesage International and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The service began on June 2, 2017.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 5,305 fires covering 3,456,768 hectares as of September 30, 2017. This is an increase of 412 fires and 453,394 hectares from one month earlier and an increase of 620 fires and 2,067,873 hectares from the same time last year.

On September 21, 2017, Porter Airlines flew its inaugural non-stop flight from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Saint John Airport, New Brunswick. The flight will be operated daily with a 74-seat Bombardier Q400 aircraft.

On September 20, 2017, Global Affairs Canada issued a statement regarding Hurricane Maria’s progress through the Caribbean, urging Canadians in areas with an “avoid all travel” advisory to leave by commercial means while they were still available. As a result of the hurricane, many scheduled flights were cancelled and rescue flights added to bring Canadians home.

On September 15, 2017, the British Columbia government lifted a provincial state of emergency declared more than two months earlier for what would become the province’s worst fire season on record. The declaration was made July 7 after dozens of out-of-control wildfires broke out in B.C.’s interior, forcing thousands of people from their homes. As of September 15, there were still 155 fires burning in B.C. and 11 evacuation orders were in place.

On September 12, 2017, Porter Airlines began daily service from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Fredericton International Airport, New Brunswick.

On September 11, 2017, PAL Airlines began regular flights from Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador to Mont-Joli, Quebec. Flights are offered once per day on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

On September 5, 2017, due to Hurricane Irma, Global Affairs Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories raised their warning level to “avoid all travel” for the following destinations: Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius and Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, St Barthelemy, Guadeloupe, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra. As a result, many flights out of Canada were cancelled and additional rescue flights were added to bring Canadian travellers home.

On September 5, 2017, a runway rehabilitation project began at Oshawa Airport, which saw both runways at the airport closed for 35 days.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 4,893 fires covering 3,003,374 hectares as of August 31, 2017. This represents an increase of 1,739 fires and 1,872,650 hectares from a month earlier. In 2016, the agency had recorded 4,832 fires covering 1,390,375 hectares by August 31.

In the summer of 2017, a new tour company, Fly ToTo Flight Escapes, based out of the Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport, Ontario, began to offer flights to popular Ontario attractions and destinations.

In late August, 2017, hurricane Harvey caused the cancellation of 25 WestJet flights to and from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

On August 22, 2017, hundreds of firefighters and dozens of aircraft were working to contain one of the largest wildfires ever recorded in British Columbia. Nineteen wildfires covering 467,000 hectares in the provinces interior merged together. The Plateau fire stretched 130 kilometers from one end to the other.

On August 18, 2017, the province of British Columbia extended its state of emergency until September 1. The extension is in response to 138 wildfires burning and approximately 25,000 people under either evacuation orders or alerts.

On August 18, 2017, the province of Alberta reported 28 wildfires. In response, the province was using 200 firefighters, two special teams of incident management personnel, 21 helicopters, an air tanker crew and various pieces of heavy equipment to address the situation. The majority of the fires, including 5 listed as being out of control, were in the High Level Forest area.

On August 14, 2017, Wasaya Airways, based at Thunder Bay, launched new twice daily, non-stop service to Sandy Lake, Manitoba and Pikangikum, Ontario First Nations from Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International, Manitoba and announced it would increase the frequency of flights between Winnipeg and Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

Operation NANOOK 2017, Canada’s annual northern sovereignty operation, took place between August 12 and August 27. The Canadian Armed Forces deployed land, maritime and air components in two locations in the North: Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and northern Labrador.

On August 12, 2017, weather and reduced staffing at Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, caused delays and dozens of flight cancellations.

On August 11, 2017, the province of British Columbia declared 2017 to be the worst wildfire season since record keeping began in 1950. Since April 1, 2017, 894,491 hectares had burned. The previous record of 855,000 hectares was established in 1958. More than 3,800 personnel were engaged in combating the fires, with additional crews from New Zealand, Mexico and the United States due to arrive shortly.

On August 1, 2017, The Williams Lake Airport, British Columbia was re-opened for regular travel. Although fully manned, the airport had been closed to all activity except for fire suppression since July 7, 2017.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 3,154 fires covering 1,130,724 hectares as of July 31, 2017. This represents an increase of 1,514 fires and 960,048 hectares from a month earlier. In 2016, the agency had recorded 3,969 fires encompassing 1,293,072 hectares by the end of July.

In early July 2017, numerous wild fires broke out in British Columbia. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc. reported 821 fires in the province, covering 426,022 hectares as of July 31.  In response, the province declared a state of emergency, issued evacuation orders and deployed aircraft to several regions to assist in the fire suppression activities.

In July, 2017, Conair Group, based at Abbotsford, provided 26 aircraft to battle fires burning in British Columbia in such places as Cache Creek, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake and Princeton.

On July 18, 2017, De Beers Canada inaugurated a direct flight from Calgary International Airport to Gahcho Kué Mine in the Northwest Territories. The employee charter flight will take place twice per week on a year-round basis.

On July 13, 2017, Elite Airways began twice weekly non-stop service from Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport to Portland, Maine with an option for passengers to continue to Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida.

On July 10, 2017, three additional air tanker crews from Air Spray Ltd., based out of Red Deer Regional Airport, Alberta, were deployed into British Columbia, The increase is in addition to the three crews already contracted to the British Columbia government for the 2017 fire season.

On July 10, 2017 the Canadian Forces confirmed the movement of three Griffon helicopters into Kelowna with larger fixed wing aircraft to arrive shortly thereafter. The aircraft will be on standby, to assist in firefighting efforts if needed.

July 10 and July 18, 2017, smoke from numerous wildfires burning in British Columbia’s interior caused delays and a handful of cancellations at Kamloops Airport, British Columbia.

On July 9, 2017, Central Mountain Air commenced service between Edmonton International Airport and Prince George, British Columbia. Flights will operate six days a week.

On July 7, 2017, the province of British Columbia closed the airspace of the Williams Lake Airport to all service with the exception of fire suppression efforts.

In June, 2017, Air Canada Cargo launched new services between Montréal, Quebec and Marseille, France, as well as extra flights between Canada and France (specifically, Lyon and Paris).

On June 30, 2017, Hong Kong Airlines began daily flights between Vancouver International airport and Hong Kong, China, with an A330 aircraft featuring 18 business class and 246 economy seats. The airline plans to introduce an A350 aircraft in August.

Commencing June 24, 2017 Cathay Pacific will increase the capacity of its summer service between Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport and Hong Kong, with the addition of 4 weekly flights. The service will continue until September 4, 2017.

On June 24, 2017, Air Canada Rouge began daily seasonal service between Victoria International Airport, British Columbia and Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International using a Boeing 767. With a capacity of 280 passengers it is the largest regularly scheduled airplane to operate out of the airport. Continuation of the service will be reviewed in the fall. The airline also operates daily direct service to Toronto using an Airbus.

Starting June 24, 2017, WestJet reduced the number of flights between Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International and London’s Gatwick Airport, Great Britain. The number of flights were cut down to 10, from 22 flights in 2016. The reduction in flights will be effective until August 26, 2017.

On June 23, 2017, Air Canada commenced service between Vancouver International Airport and Boston Logan International Airport. The non-stop seasonal flight will operate daily until September 4, 2017.

On June 16, 2017, Air Borealis began operations in Labrador.  Together with PAL Airlines, the Innu Development Limited Partnership (IDLP) and the Nunatsiavut Group of Companies (NGC), this partnership operates seven DHC-6 Twin Otters and primarily serves communities on Labrador’s north and south coasts.  It also provides medical travel – both scheduled and medevac flights to both coasts for the regional healthy authority, Labrador Grenfell Health. IDLP previously owned Innu Mikun Airlines in Northern Labrador, while NGC owned Air Labrador.

On June 15, 2017, WestJet began point-to-point service for the first time within the province of Quebec, with four daily flights between Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Québec/Jean Lesage International.

Starting mid-June 2017, EVA Air increased the frequency of its flights from Taipei, Taiwan to both Vancouver and Toronto to meet increasing demand. Daily non-stop service to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan from Vancouver began June 15 and Toronto June 16.

On June 9, 2017, after a 14 year hiatus, Air Canada resumed flights between Taipei and Vancouver. The daily direct service will be flown using a Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner configured to carry 298 passengers.

On June 9, 2017, Air Canada Rouge launched its new route from Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International to Marseille. The seasonal non-stop service will operate three times a week for the summer.

On June 8, 2017, Air Canada Rouge began seasonal service from Vancouver International Airport to London’s Gatwick Airport. The flights will operate three times a week.

On June 5, 2017, Pacific Coastal Airlines added a new flight in British Columbia between Kelowna and Victoria International Airport.

On June 1, 2017, Aeromexico launched non-stop service from Calgary International to Mexico City, Mexico. Calgary is the airline’s fourth Canadian destination along with Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver.

On June 1, 2017, Vancouver International Airport celebrated the inauguration of two new non-stop seasonal services; Air Canada’s daily service to Frankfurt, Germany and Air Canada Rouge’s three times a week service to Nagoya, Japan.

On May 29, 2017, WestJet began non-stop seasonal service four times per week between Kelowna and Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International. The service will continue until September 2017.

Starting May 24, 2017 Sunwing changed several of its flights from Québec/Jean Lesage International to destinations in Cuba and Mexico from non-stop to direct via Montréal/Pierre Elliot Trudeau International or Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International.

Starting May 21, 2017, First Air added a new trans-territorial flight spanning Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The airline added a fourth weekly flight on its Iqaluit-Rankin Inlet-Yellowknife route.

In May 2017, several changes were initiated as a result of the termination of the code share partnership between Canadian North and First Air. Canadian North resumed a number of routes in the Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut. Effective May 18, the airline began service, three times a week, between Iqaluit, Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq. Effective May 17, it began service, six times a week, between Igloolik and Pond Inlet. The same day, service also began, three times a week, between Iqaluit and Pangnirtung. This last route was originally planned to be between Iqaluit, Pangnirtung and Clyde River but was dropped by the airline. First Air made adjustments to its schedules in Nunavut starting May 17. The airlines’ service between Iqaluit and Cape Dorset increased from five to six weekly flights. Service between Iqaluit, Clyde River, Pond Inlet and Resolute Bay would operate once weekly. Overall service between Iqaluit and Pond Inlet and Resolute Bay rose to six weekly flights. Service between Iqaluit and Igloolik grew from five to six weekly flights. Service in the Northwest Territories between Yellowknife and Inuvik resumed with one daily flight. Further, as part of its agreement with Summit Air, flights between Edmonton International and Yellowknife increased from 10 to 12 weekly flights.

From May 18 to June 29, 2017, WestJet launched overnight service four times per week from Kelowna to Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International. Daily service will begin from June 30 to September 5, 2017.  Service will be reduced to three times per week between September 6 and October 8, 2017.

On May 17, 2017, First Air ended its service between Yellowknife and Norman Wells, Northwest Territories.

On May 12, 2017, a new base for forest firefighting efforts officially opened at Jack Garland Airport in North Bay, Ontario.  The facility consolidates crews and support staff from four locations into one building at the airport and will allow fire crews to be deployed faster to the surrounding areas.

On May 12, 2017, the runway extension at Red Deer Regional Airport became fully operational.

On May 5, 2017, nearly 150 flights scheduled to arrive and depart from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport were cancelled due to thunderstorms and poor visibility.

On May 4, 2017, WestJet started direct service between Calgary International and Nashville, Tennessee. The airline will operate two flights a week.

On May 1, 2017, Aeromexico Airlines increased capacity on all three of its existing Canada routes, expanding Vancouver-Mexico City from 11 to 14 weekly flights, Montreal-Mexico City from 11 to 13 weekly flights and Toronto-Mexico City from 10 to 12 weekly flights. The increases will be maintained year round.

On May 1, 2017, Wasaya Airways launched a new non-stop service between Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International and Sioux Lookout. This route operates on weekdays only.

On May 1, 2017, Air Canada commenced daily year round service between Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International and Washington Dulles International Airport, D.C.

On May 1, 2017, Air Transat changed its flight from Québec/Jean Lesage International to Paris from non-stop to direct via Montréal/Pierre Elliot Trudeau International.

On April 30, 2017, WestJet commenced service between Hamilton Airport and Vancouver International Airport. The flight will operate four times a week moving to a daily flight, June 28 to September 7. The flight will then return to four times a week until October 27.

On April 30, 2017, WestJet launched a daily direct flight between Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International to Abbotsford.

On April 30, 2017, WestJet resumed daily non-stop flights between Gander International Airport, Newfoundland and Labrador and Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport.

On April 25, 2017, it was announced that airport operations at the Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport would continue until at least October 31, 2018.

Effective April 22 until May 28, 2017, Air Canada Rouge offered daytime non-stop service on Saturday and Sunday from Kelowna to Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International. Daily service will begin from May 29 to mid-September.

In April 2017, Calm Air cancelled flights to Gillam, Manitoba due to the soft runway conditions. The gravel runway was unsafe to land large planes.

Effective March 28, 2017, Cathay Pacific increased the capacity of its flights on two routes, Vancouver-Boston and Vancouver-Hong Kong. Flights between Vancouver International Airport and Hong Kong increased from twice daily to 17 flights per week. The airline operates the new Airbus 350-900. Earlier in the year, the airline had announced a codeshare arrangement with Air Canada which allowed Cathay Pacific customers to travel to major cities across the country on Air Canada domestic flights.

As of March 26, 2017, Air Canada stopped flying directly from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International to LaGuardia Airport. The airline instead will offer flights from Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International to Newark Airport, New Jersey.

On March 23, 2017, the new Cariboo Fire Centre officially opened at Williams Lake Airport. The $7.1-million facility will improve the B.C. Wildfire Service’s ability to respond to wildfires in the central interior of British Columbia. It is one of the busiest wildfire response jurisdictions in British Columbia, covering about 10.3 million hectares.

On March 17, 2017, two Cessnas operated by Cargair Aviation collided in mid-air over St-Bruno, Quebec. Several of the Cargair flight school campuses suspended activities for a few days immediately following the accident.

On March 15, 2017, WestJet launched twice daily service between Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport.

On March 15, 2017, Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport reported more than two dozen flight cancellations and delays due to a winter storm which caused power outages throughout the province.

On March 14, 2017, a powerful winter storm pounded southern and central Quebec. Most flights at Montréal/Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport were cancelled or delayed.

On March 7, 2017, Regina International Airport, Saskatchewan cancelled and delayed numerous flights due to blizzard conditions.

Starting March 3, 2017, Air Transat began service from Moncton/Greater Moncton International to several seasonal destinations: Cancun, Punta Cana and Varadero. All of these flights will continue until mid-May, 2017.

On February 16, 2017, Air Canada launched daily year-round flights from Montréal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau International to Shanghai, China.

Starting February 5, 2017, Air Canada began daily year-round non-stop flights between Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Texas and Vancouver International.

On February 3, 2017, WestJet inaugurated daily service from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International to Sudbury, Ontario.

On January 23, 2017, First Air announced a new four-year agreement with Summit Air, which will expand its use of the charter passenger service.

On January 21, 2017, Sunwing began seasonal service from Moncton/Greater Moncton International to Varadero. The service will continue until May 13, 2017.

Starting January 20, 2017, Sunwing began seasonal service from Moncton/Greater Moncton International to Punta Cana. The service will continue until May 14, 2017.

On January 19, 2017, WestJet inaugurated service from Calgary International Airport to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Arizona. Inaugural service from Edmonton International Airport began January 21.

On January 17, 2017, WestJet launched its non-stop service from Winnipeg/James Armstrong Richardson International Airport to Hamilton Airport. The airline also relaunched non-stop service to Edmonton International and Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport from Hamilton Airport on January 16.

Effective January 15, 2017, NewLeaf, operated by Flair Airlines, cancelled flights between Hamilton and Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International airports. Also flights were cancelled between Abbotsford and Edmonton International and between Edmonton International and Kelowna.

Starting January 10, 2017, Aqsaqniq Airways offered bi-monthly service from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut to Yellowknife. The company plans to put passengers and freight on a de Havilland Dash-7 combi between the two hubs every second Tuesday.

Starting January 9, 2017, Delta Air Lines resumed daily year-round service between John F. Kennedy Airport and Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport.

On January 8, 2017, American Airlines ended its service from Halifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport to Philadelphia.

Due to planned maintenance by Canadian North, the Ottawa to Iqaluit codeshare route will be served by a single daily flight operated by First Air from January 5 to February 28, 2017.

On January 2, 2017, Canadian North launched a refurbished Boeing 737-300 combi-jet on its Iqaluit–Ottawa route. The company also announced that it will resume Dash 8 service for the following Nunavut airports: Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Qikiqtarjuaq and Pangnirtung.