Worldtraveler36
Mar 6, 02, 8:44 pm
This is a newsletter compiled by a friend of mine, based in Toronto. Why not subscribe?
YYZ NEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2002
Editor: Brian Dunn ( yyznews@rogers.com ) Circulation = 1250+
Last three issues: Jan 12/18/28
1) In this issue we have attached several MS Word document files for your in debth reading pleasure as outlined below;
a) A Financial Post article about the government's new airport security tax law introduced last week in Parliament
and how it is just an excuse to grab more cash from the unsuspecting traveller.
b) A Hamilton Spectator report on plans to expand the Hamilton airport terminal ten times its current size.
c) A Calgary Herald story about a proposed new charter airline to start up in the west.
d) An article about WestJet's President saying the new $24.00 one-way security fee will kill off service to some smaller
communities.
e) A Globe & Mail article about Robert Milton "riding out" the turbulence at Air Canada.
f) A story about how private enterprise is helping to develop the lesser-known Moscow airports while others are
falling far behind.
g) A story from Cornerbrook NF about Provincial Airlines struggle to expand and prosper in the Maritimes.
h) A London Free Press story about WestJet's launch of service to London Ontario and the airline's reliance on the
Boeing 737 aircraft.
i) A National Post/Financial Post article about WestJet's future intentions for Toronto and its reluctance to grow too fast.
j) WestJet trying to close a deal to secure two extra 737-700s this year on lease.
2) Regional Airlines Holdings Inc. (REGCO) will hold a press conference tomorrow (Feb 8th) at 1015hrs at the Toronto
City Centre Airport. Mr. Robert Deluce, President and CEO of REGCO, Dr. Fred Lazar, Professor, Schulich School of Business, York University, and Dan Newman MPP and Dennis Mills MP will be present. There will be a scale-model DHC-8-Q400 on hand which presumably means that will be the aircraft of choice for the new airline to be launched later this year. It is expected that its route structure will cover much of Ontario, including Ottawa and Montreal. Watch your newspapers for more details tomorrow.
3) a)...after much public pressure Aeroplan, the frequent flyer division of Air Canada, had to back down a bit on its plans to curtail some of the benefits currently meted out to its most frequent flyers. The new rules will come into effect on March 1st. Mileage award on discounted tickets has been reduced, and access to upgrades for the most frequent flyers have been made more difficult to achieve. b)...Tango by Air Canada announced a major route expansion effective May 1st and June 1st. This will mean the addition of two more A320s to the current six in use (159Y seating with an eventual fleet of 13 A320's planned) and eight Boeing 737-200s to be added in a 120-seat configuration. Effective May 1st new Kelowna-Toronto, Winnipeg-Edmonton (twice daily), Quebec City-Montreal-Winnipeg, Quebec City-Toronto, and Fredericton-Saint John-Toronto service to be added. Effective June 1st a new Toronto-Abbotsford, Toronto-Calgary-Victoria, Toronto-Deer Lake (3X week), Toronto-Gander (2X week), Toronto-Charlottetown (2X week) and Ottawa-Winnipeg will be started. All services are daily unless otherwise noted. Additional frequencies for Tango flights will be added on Montreal-Toronto, Montreal-Halifax, and Ottawa-Halifax routes for the peak summer. c)..Air Canada was voted "Best Business Class to Canada" by the readers of Business Traveler Magazine. This is the second year has top honors for its business class service. d)...Bill C38 was proclaimed on February 2nd which amends the Air Canada Public Participation Act to remove the 15 per cent limit on individual ownership of shares in Air Canada. e)...another Boeing 767-200 (FIN607) was put in storage in Montreal on February 4th. It is expected that others will join it in "storage" as major maintenance checks come due this spring. In other fleet news the airline is expected to take delivery tomorrow (Feb 8th) of another Airbus A319 (FIN290) which is scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg in the evening. f)...announced today its 4th quarter and year end financial results which stated a record $1.25billion loss. This is the largest in corporate history for the airline. See the AC website for complete details of its financial results.
4) According to an article recently in the Toronto Star there are growing fears that time is running out for bankrupt Canada 3000 to get back in the air. While former president Angus Kinnear has said he's committed to a May 23 startup he has yet to apply for an airline operating certificate of slots at Pearson International. Most of the former Canada 3000 fleet of aircraft have already been re-possessed by the various lessors with most of them finding new homes at other airlines. The remaining few aircraft are also expected to be gone before too long.
5) A Pointe Claire organization requested permission to begin a class action of $183 million against Aeroports de Montreal, Air Canada, and the federal government over noise at Dorval airport. The Citizens for Quality of Life, represented in the suit by resident Thomasini Mawhood is asking Quebec Superior Court for $100 for every person in the area affected by noise, pollution and risk of aircraft accidents because of airport operations. The group accuses the airport of violating rules by allowing airlines, particularly Air Canada, to use runways after 2300hrs and before 0700hrs.
6) Bay Chaleur Airlines Inc. of Charlo New Brunswick has been granted a license by the Canadian Transportation Agency to operate a domestic service, small aircraft. The airline is expected to begin regularly scheduled service this spring, linking Charlo with points in central Canada. Meanwhile, Bay Chaleur Airlines has contracted the services of SkyComm Air Management Ltd. to manage the airline's launch, ongoing operation and future planning of its services. Tom McBrearty, President of Bay Chaleur Air said "We are pleased with our relationship with SkyComm and look forward to continuing a proactive and successful relationship." The airline will be announcing details of it launch and routes to be served in the near future but it is believed to be looking at servcie to Toronto and Montreal with a leased Beech 1900D aircraft.
7) Bombardier Inc. has been notified that TRC Capital Corporation has made an unsolicited tender offer to purchase up to 20,000,000 of the Company's Class B subordinate voting shares at $13.50Cdn per share. Bombardier wishes to inform its shareholders that it does not recommend or endorse this unsolicited offer and that the Company is in no way associated with TRC Capital Corporation. On February 5th Bombardier Aerospace officially launched its high-speed Bombardier Global 5000 interncontinental business jet, designed specifically to meet emerging needs in the super-large jet market. Letters of intent for 15 aircraft have already been signed. This is the 12th new aircraft in 12 years for Bombardier Aerospace. First flight is expected in the first quarter of 2003 from its Downsview ON plant in Toronto. Full certification is expected in early 2004. The aircraft will fly non-stop from Continental Europe to central North America at Mach 0.85 with eight passengers and three crew. It will execute transcontinental missions at Mach 0.88. It will have a MTOW of 87,700pounds and a maximum range of 4800 nautical miles at Mach 0.85. The Rolls-Royce BR710A2-20 powerplant will come with the new jet. Launch price for the Global 5000 is $32.95million USD. Meanwhile, Bombardier Aerospace-Amphibious Division is embarking on a two-month world tour with their CL-415 water bomber aircraft. The aircraft will attend the airshow at Singapore among its many stops. The sales tour is an effort to bring in new orders for the aircraft to get people back to work at the North Bay airport plant.
8) Official with First Air say red tape is keeping their new planes on the ground in cold weather. Their newly acquired ATR42s aren't allowed to fly in temperatures below -40degrees Celsius. A spokeperson for the airline said it is just a matter of getting the paperwork changed at Transport Canada. In Europe the same airplane is certified to fly in -54 degree weather.
9) Continental Airlines will commence daily non-stop service from Montreal-Dorval to Houston (IAH) on June 2nd for the peak summer season using Boeing 737-500 aircraft.
10) Air Atlanta Icelandic (dba Canada Air Charter) will operated two weekly flights from Montreal-Mirabel to Rome effective May 2nd on Thursdays and Saturdays. It's still not clear if Canada Air Charter has applied for its own operating certificate from Transport Canada, or is merely acting as a sales agent for Air Atlanta Icelandic. They intend to have flights from Mirabel to Algeria, Tunisia, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Denmark, Cote D'ivoire, Senegal and Haiti.
11) Transat A.T. Inc has filed a preliminary short form prospectus in all the provinces of Canada that it has entered into an agreement to sell, to a syndicate of underwiters led by CIBC World Markets Inc. $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 9% Subordinated Unsecured Convertible Debentures due March 1, 2007. Each Debenture will be convertible into Common Shares at the option of the holder at any time prior to maturity at a conversion price of $8.75 per share. The net proceeds to Transat A.T. Inc. will be used for general corporate purposes and to the reduction of the debt.
12) Canada 3000 Cargo service has been purchased by a group of investors led by a Toronto businessman and sometime film producer. Ajay Virmani is the new owner of Canada 3000 Cargo Inc. Virmani was the largest shareholder of the cargo company when he purchased 50 per cent of it last July for $10million. Last week, he purchased the remaining half for an undisclosed sum from bankruptcy trustees. The new company will undergo a name change and will have an expanded schedule to debut February 21st in Toronto. The company currently serves the domestic market with four 727-200 freighters (wet-leased from All Canada Express Ltd.) and one 737 aircraft. Two Beech 99s and a Metro II plane are leased. Virmani said that all eight planes will fly out of Hamilton Airport, whereas previously some were flying in/out of Toronto.
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ADVERTISE HERE
This space is available for advertising. Please contact me for rate details at ( yyznews@rogers.com )
We can make the space fit your requirements and the pricing will reflect the size of the desired advert.
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13) In the last issue of YYZNEWS (Jan 28th) we reported that Aviation Quebec Labrador had its operating certificate suspended by Transport Canada. On February 4th the company issued a press release to announce that its operating certificate had been restored after satisfying Transport Canada with the missing paper work. Services were to resume on February 5th on its "north shore" services linking Sept-Iles with eastern Quebec and Labrador.
14) Air Labrador, based in Goose Bay is positioning itself as the transportation saviour of six remote Quebec settlements. The airline says Quebecers in four remote Lower North Shore communities begged the airline to fly into their towns. It did and now it plans to serve two more villages by spring, setting the stage for the first real regional air battle since the collapse of Regionair last year. Air Labrador started trial runs between Blanc Sablon and Sept-Iles in December and will expand passenger service to Natashquan and Havre Saint-Pierre. Ward Pike of Air Labrador said Quebecers "basically hauled" his airline into the market in their desperation because there was only one airline serving their communities. His chief rival says that's nonsense. Real Mackenzie COO of Aviation Quebec Labrador says Air Labrador came to Quebec for one reason only...to get high-paying government contracts. Air Labrador has won a $1.5million deal to ferry medical patients along the North Shore from Blanc Sablon to Sept-Isles. The Quebec government is expected to formally announce the winner within days but it has also retained Air Labrador as the preferred carrier for the Quebec school board in the region.
15) CAE announced C$18million in new business with two customers, WestJet and Bombardier. WestJet Airlines has agreed to purchase a 737-700 Full Flight Simulator equipped with a CAE Maxvue visual system. The simulator valued at approximately C$15million, will be installed at WestJet's training facility in Calgary at the end of 2003. Bombardier Aerospace has awarded CAE a C$3million upgrade contract. CAE will develop a simulation package for the Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft and will upgrade four CRJ700 simulation devices to be fully convertible to CRJ900. The first device will be ready for Bombardier CRJ900 training in July 2002. On February 5th CAE announced that it is cutting 500 jobs in response to a drop in orders for flight simulators. Most of the job cuts are expected to hit CAE's production facilities in Montreal.
16) CHC Helicopter Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary CHC Helicopters (Australia) has been awarded a new offshore transportation contract by Phillips Petroleum Pty Ltd. for the provision of two dedicated Super Puma AS332 helicopters. The contract commences March 9th for a period of 34 months and the aircraft will be based at Baucau, East Timor and will be supporting the devlopment phase of the Bayu-Undan Gas Recycle Project located in the Timor Sea between East Timor and Australia. The two Super Pumas will be redeployed from short-term contracts elsewhere within the CHC fleet.
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HELP SAVE TORONTO CITY CENTRE AIRPORT (Toronto Island)
Check out the web page that has been created on this subject. It is an effort to counter act the misinformation being
propagated by certain citizen groups and our local and federal politicians are falling into their trap of lies.
Go to ( http://www.canairradio.com/island.html )
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17) ILFC has announced that B.W.I.A. will be leasing two A340-300 aircraft for a five year period with delivery expected in June 2002 and November 2002. The two aircraft in question ( msn 88 and 93 ) are currently in service with Air Canada ( as FIN981/982).
18) In addition to several A320s picked up on lease from the former Canada 3000, Skyservice Airlines have leased in three A320s ( ex Fly FTI of the UK) (msn 230/429/437) with V2500 engines from Airtours in the UK for the peak winter schedule.
19) Air Georgian has contracted with Mid-Canada Mod Centre (Mississauga ON) to install dual Rockwell Collins AHC-3000A attitude heading reference systems on 12 Beech 1900Ds starting in the second quarter of 2002, plus 14 options.
20) Vanguard aviation Corp. announces that it has entered into a contract with Honeywell Aircraft Landing Systems to provide services supporting Honeywell's wheel and brake contract with WestJet Airlines. Services will be provided for WestJet's fleet of 23 Boeing 737-200 aircraft and for the new 737-700 aircraft of which 5 have been delivered so far.
21) Atlantis Systems Corp. has been selected by Westland Helicopters Ltd. of the UK to provide a Cockpit Procedures Trainer (CPT) fo the new CH-149 Cormorant Search and Rescue Helicopters being supplied to AgustaWestland to the Canadian Forces.
22) How many of you remember the big Canadair CL-44 swing tail? Check out this website which has production lists, history, fates, survivors, and photos. ( http://www.cl44.com/cl44/cl44.htm )
23) Airtours and JMC Airlines of the UK will both be flying charters to Canada this summer, helping to replace some of the lost capacity with the demise of Canada 3000. JMC will fly once a week to Calgary and Vancouver with an Airbus 330 aircraft from Glasgow and Airtours will serve Toronto up to 4 times per week with a mix of Boeing 767-300s and Airbus 330 aircraft.
24) Atlantic Southest Airlines (ASA) (dba Delta Connection) took delivery of its first 70-passenger CRJ700. There was an official ceremony held on January 29th at the new Bombardier facility at Mirabel airport. ASA also took delivery of another CRJ200 series which was serial number 600. ASA and Comair together are slated to receive 57 CRJ700s! Meanwhile, ASA also announced that it will add another frequencie between Atlanta and Toronto effective April 17th. This will make six non-stops per day for Delta between the two cities.
25) Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) (dba Delta Connection) will provide three daily rountrip regional jet flights beginning May 1st between Boston and Halifax. The carrier will use its Fairchild 328JET aircraft on the route.
26) LOT Polish Airlines will gradually be increasing its frequencies on its scheduled services between Warsaw and Toronto this winter/spring. Currently two flights per week are offered on Wed/Sat, and a third flight will be added on Sundays beginning April 7th. A fourth flight will be added on Fridays effective May 3rd.
27) El Al will be operating an extra flight to Toronto on February 18th with their new Boeing 777 aircraft routing via JFK to arrive at 0835hrs. It will then return the same way departing at 1120hrs. Their current three trips per week with the 767-200 aircraft continue routing TLV-YYZ-LAX and return. However, effective March 31st the 777 will replace the 767-200 until June 23rd when Boeing 747-400s will be used for the peak summer period. Then effective September 10th it will revert back to the Boeing 777 again for the fall.
28) Canada has officially joied the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter team. Canada's participation in the JSF program will be in the System Development and Demonstration phase of the program, enabling the country to influence elements of the JSF design. Its decision to participate in the program opens doors for Canada's industries to participate in advanced-technology development activities that are hallmarks of the JSF program. The new F-35 (JSF) is a stealthy, supersonic multi-role fighter designed to meet requirements for a new generation of transformational weapons. It will be manufactured in three variants; a conventional takeoff and landing variant for the USAF, an aircraft-carrier version for the US Navy, and a short-takeoff/vertical landing version for the U.S. Marine Corps. The UK is evaluating both the STOL and conventional versions.
29) Stymied on an airport code? Can't figure out the airline codes? Try looking at this website which has a vast database available; ( http://www.airportcitycodes.com/aaa/index.html )
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PEARSON AIRPORT VIEWING AREA PETITION
The collection of names is still going on and the list is growing every week. If you have not already done so, we would urge you to go to our website and follow the easy sign-up form to have your name and comments added to the petition.
With the events of September 11th forever changing the way airlines and airports do business, as well as how security is conducted it is more relevant than ever for the GTAA to plan for, and put into use as soon as possible designated viewing areas around the airport perimeters. It would be far easier to control the "viewers" if they were parked in designated spots, than if left to their own ingenuity as currently is the case. Aircraft photographers, families with kids, and aviation buffs in general are not going to go away! We also urge everyone to start writing and phoning your local Member of Parliament for Ontario and for the Federal government and tell them how disappointed you are that there is no definitive plan to include a public indoor viewing area at "Terminal New" which would be accessible to anyone, not just passengers. Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Montreal's-Dorval have terminal viewing areas, but not at YYZ.
Visit our website at (http://www.canairradio.com/petition.asp) Follow the easy fill-in format to add your name to the petition list. You are also welcome to add personal comments.
Also, take a look at comments received already at (http://www.canairradio.com/comments.html)
Also, check out the latest correspondence received at (http://www.canairradio.com/update.html)
Don't leave it for the next guy to do...he's waiting for you!
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Just send us a note with your first and last names, city/town of residence(mandatory), phone number (optional), airline/aviation affiliation if any (mandatory), and the e-mail address you wish to have it sent to. ( yyznews@rogers.com )
Don't forget to notify us if you are changing your internet provider with the new e-mail address.
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------------------
Michael
AA PLT,1 MLN Miles+
Hilton Gold
Sheraton Gold
Marriot Silver
YYZ NEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2002
Editor: Brian Dunn ( yyznews@rogers.com ) Circulation = 1250+
Last three issues: Jan 12/18/28
1) In this issue we have attached several MS Word document files for your in debth reading pleasure as outlined below;
a) A Financial Post article about the government's new airport security tax law introduced last week in Parliament
and how it is just an excuse to grab more cash from the unsuspecting traveller.
b) A Hamilton Spectator report on plans to expand the Hamilton airport terminal ten times its current size.
c) A Calgary Herald story about a proposed new charter airline to start up in the west.
d) An article about WestJet's President saying the new $24.00 one-way security fee will kill off service to some smaller
communities.
e) A Globe & Mail article about Robert Milton "riding out" the turbulence at Air Canada.
f) A story about how private enterprise is helping to develop the lesser-known Moscow airports while others are
falling far behind.
g) A story from Cornerbrook NF about Provincial Airlines struggle to expand and prosper in the Maritimes.
h) A London Free Press story about WestJet's launch of service to London Ontario and the airline's reliance on the
Boeing 737 aircraft.
i) A National Post/Financial Post article about WestJet's future intentions for Toronto and its reluctance to grow too fast.
j) WestJet trying to close a deal to secure two extra 737-700s this year on lease.
2) Regional Airlines Holdings Inc. (REGCO) will hold a press conference tomorrow (Feb 8th) at 1015hrs at the Toronto
City Centre Airport. Mr. Robert Deluce, President and CEO of REGCO, Dr. Fred Lazar, Professor, Schulich School of Business, York University, and Dan Newman MPP and Dennis Mills MP will be present. There will be a scale-model DHC-8-Q400 on hand which presumably means that will be the aircraft of choice for the new airline to be launched later this year. It is expected that its route structure will cover much of Ontario, including Ottawa and Montreal. Watch your newspapers for more details tomorrow.
3) a)...after much public pressure Aeroplan, the frequent flyer division of Air Canada, had to back down a bit on its plans to curtail some of the benefits currently meted out to its most frequent flyers. The new rules will come into effect on March 1st. Mileage award on discounted tickets has been reduced, and access to upgrades for the most frequent flyers have been made more difficult to achieve. b)...Tango by Air Canada announced a major route expansion effective May 1st and June 1st. This will mean the addition of two more A320s to the current six in use (159Y seating with an eventual fleet of 13 A320's planned) and eight Boeing 737-200s to be added in a 120-seat configuration. Effective May 1st new Kelowna-Toronto, Winnipeg-Edmonton (twice daily), Quebec City-Montreal-Winnipeg, Quebec City-Toronto, and Fredericton-Saint John-Toronto service to be added. Effective June 1st a new Toronto-Abbotsford, Toronto-Calgary-Victoria, Toronto-Deer Lake (3X week), Toronto-Gander (2X week), Toronto-Charlottetown (2X week) and Ottawa-Winnipeg will be started. All services are daily unless otherwise noted. Additional frequencies for Tango flights will be added on Montreal-Toronto, Montreal-Halifax, and Ottawa-Halifax routes for the peak summer. c)..Air Canada was voted "Best Business Class to Canada" by the readers of Business Traveler Magazine. This is the second year has top honors for its business class service. d)...Bill C38 was proclaimed on February 2nd which amends the Air Canada Public Participation Act to remove the 15 per cent limit on individual ownership of shares in Air Canada. e)...another Boeing 767-200 (FIN607) was put in storage in Montreal on February 4th. It is expected that others will join it in "storage" as major maintenance checks come due this spring. In other fleet news the airline is expected to take delivery tomorrow (Feb 8th) of another Airbus A319 (FIN290) which is scheduled to arrive in Winnipeg in the evening. f)...announced today its 4th quarter and year end financial results which stated a record $1.25billion loss. This is the largest in corporate history for the airline. See the AC website for complete details of its financial results.
4) According to an article recently in the Toronto Star there are growing fears that time is running out for bankrupt Canada 3000 to get back in the air. While former president Angus Kinnear has said he's committed to a May 23 startup he has yet to apply for an airline operating certificate of slots at Pearson International. Most of the former Canada 3000 fleet of aircraft have already been re-possessed by the various lessors with most of them finding new homes at other airlines. The remaining few aircraft are also expected to be gone before too long.
5) A Pointe Claire organization requested permission to begin a class action of $183 million against Aeroports de Montreal, Air Canada, and the federal government over noise at Dorval airport. The Citizens for Quality of Life, represented in the suit by resident Thomasini Mawhood is asking Quebec Superior Court for $100 for every person in the area affected by noise, pollution and risk of aircraft accidents because of airport operations. The group accuses the airport of violating rules by allowing airlines, particularly Air Canada, to use runways after 2300hrs and before 0700hrs.
6) Bay Chaleur Airlines Inc. of Charlo New Brunswick has been granted a license by the Canadian Transportation Agency to operate a domestic service, small aircraft. The airline is expected to begin regularly scheduled service this spring, linking Charlo with points in central Canada. Meanwhile, Bay Chaleur Airlines has contracted the services of SkyComm Air Management Ltd. to manage the airline's launch, ongoing operation and future planning of its services. Tom McBrearty, President of Bay Chaleur Air said "We are pleased with our relationship with SkyComm and look forward to continuing a proactive and successful relationship." The airline will be announcing details of it launch and routes to be served in the near future but it is believed to be looking at servcie to Toronto and Montreal with a leased Beech 1900D aircraft.
7) Bombardier Inc. has been notified that TRC Capital Corporation has made an unsolicited tender offer to purchase up to 20,000,000 of the Company's Class B subordinate voting shares at $13.50Cdn per share. Bombardier wishes to inform its shareholders that it does not recommend or endorse this unsolicited offer and that the Company is in no way associated with TRC Capital Corporation. On February 5th Bombardier Aerospace officially launched its high-speed Bombardier Global 5000 interncontinental business jet, designed specifically to meet emerging needs in the super-large jet market. Letters of intent for 15 aircraft have already been signed. This is the 12th new aircraft in 12 years for Bombardier Aerospace. First flight is expected in the first quarter of 2003 from its Downsview ON plant in Toronto. Full certification is expected in early 2004. The aircraft will fly non-stop from Continental Europe to central North America at Mach 0.85 with eight passengers and three crew. It will execute transcontinental missions at Mach 0.88. It will have a MTOW of 87,700pounds and a maximum range of 4800 nautical miles at Mach 0.85. The Rolls-Royce BR710A2-20 powerplant will come with the new jet. Launch price for the Global 5000 is $32.95million USD. Meanwhile, Bombardier Aerospace-Amphibious Division is embarking on a two-month world tour with their CL-415 water bomber aircraft. The aircraft will attend the airshow at Singapore among its many stops. The sales tour is an effort to bring in new orders for the aircraft to get people back to work at the North Bay airport plant.
8) Official with First Air say red tape is keeping their new planes on the ground in cold weather. Their newly acquired ATR42s aren't allowed to fly in temperatures below -40degrees Celsius. A spokeperson for the airline said it is just a matter of getting the paperwork changed at Transport Canada. In Europe the same airplane is certified to fly in -54 degree weather.
9) Continental Airlines will commence daily non-stop service from Montreal-Dorval to Houston (IAH) on June 2nd for the peak summer season using Boeing 737-500 aircraft.
10) Air Atlanta Icelandic (dba Canada Air Charter) will operated two weekly flights from Montreal-Mirabel to Rome effective May 2nd on Thursdays and Saturdays. It's still not clear if Canada Air Charter has applied for its own operating certificate from Transport Canada, or is merely acting as a sales agent for Air Atlanta Icelandic. They intend to have flights from Mirabel to Algeria, Tunisia, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Denmark, Cote D'ivoire, Senegal and Haiti.
11) Transat A.T. Inc has filed a preliminary short form prospectus in all the provinces of Canada that it has entered into an agreement to sell, to a syndicate of underwiters led by CIBC World Markets Inc. $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 9% Subordinated Unsecured Convertible Debentures due March 1, 2007. Each Debenture will be convertible into Common Shares at the option of the holder at any time prior to maturity at a conversion price of $8.75 per share. The net proceeds to Transat A.T. Inc. will be used for general corporate purposes and to the reduction of the debt.
12) Canada 3000 Cargo service has been purchased by a group of investors led by a Toronto businessman and sometime film producer. Ajay Virmani is the new owner of Canada 3000 Cargo Inc. Virmani was the largest shareholder of the cargo company when he purchased 50 per cent of it last July for $10million. Last week, he purchased the remaining half for an undisclosed sum from bankruptcy trustees. The new company will undergo a name change and will have an expanded schedule to debut February 21st in Toronto. The company currently serves the domestic market with four 727-200 freighters (wet-leased from All Canada Express Ltd.) and one 737 aircraft. Two Beech 99s and a Metro II plane are leased. Virmani said that all eight planes will fly out of Hamilton Airport, whereas previously some were flying in/out of Toronto.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVERTISE HERE
This space is available for advertising. Please contact me for rate details at ( yyznews@rogers.com )
We can make the space fit your requirements and the pricing will reflect the size of the desired advert.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13) In the last issue of YYZNEWS (Jan 28th) we reported that Aviation Quebec Labrador had its operating certificate suspended by Transport Canada. On February 4th the company issued a press release to announce that its operating certificate had been restored after satisfying Transport Canada with the missing paper work. Services were to resume on February 5th on its "north shore" services linking Sept-Iles with eastern Quebec and Labrador.
14) Air Labrador, based in Goose Bay is positioning itself as the transportation saviour of six remote Quebec settlements. The airline says Quebecers in four remote Lower North Shore communities begged the airline to fly into their towns. It did and now it plans to serve two more villages by spring, setting the stage for the first real regional air battle since the collapse of Regionair last year. Air Labrador started trial runs between Blanc Sablon and Sept-Iles in December and will expand passenger service to Natashquan and Havre Saint-Pierre. Ward Pike of Air Labrador said Quebecers "basically hauled" his airline into the market in their desperation because there was only one airline serving their communities. His chief rival says that's nonsense. Real Mackenzie COO of Aviation Quebec Labrador says Air Labrador came to Quebec for one reason only...to get high-paying government contracts. Air Labrador has won a $1.5million deal to ferry medical patients along the North Shore from Blanc Sablon to Sept-Isles. The Quebec government is expected to formally announce the winner within days but it has also retained Air Labrador as the preferred carrier for the Quebec school board in the region.
15) CAE announced C$18million in new business with two customers, WestJet and Bombardier. WestJet Airlines has agreed to purchase a 737-700 Full Flight Simulator equipped with a CAE Maxvue visual system. The simulator valued at approximately C$15million, will be installed at WestJet's training facility in Calgary at the end of 2003. Bombardier Aerospace has awarded CAE a C$3million upgrade contract. CAE will develop a simulation package for the Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft and will upgrade four CRJ700 simulation devices to be fully convertible to CRJ900. The first device will be ready for Bombardier CRJ900 training in July 2002. On February 5th CAE announced that it is cutting 500 jobs in response to a drop in orders for flight simulators. Most of the job cuts are expected to hit CAE's production facilities in Montreal.
16) CHC Helicopter Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary CHC Helicopters (Australia) has been awarded a new offshore transportation contract by Phillips Petroleum Pty Ltd. for the provision of two dedicated Super Puma AS332 helicopters. The contract commences March 9th for a period of 34 months and the aircraft will be based at Baucau, East Timor and will be supporting the devlopment phase of the Bayu-Undan Gas Recycle Project located in the Timor Sea between East Timor and Australia. The two Super Pumas will be redeployed from short-term contracts elsewhere within the CHC fleet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HELP SAVE TORONTO CITY CENTRE AIRPORT (Toronto Island)
Check out the web page that has been created on this subject. It is an effort to counter act the misinformation being
propagated by certain citizen groups and our local and federal politicians are falling into their trap of lies.
Go to ( http://www.canairradio.com/island.html )
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17) ILFC has announced that B.W.I.A. will be leasing two A340-300 aircraft for a five year period with delivery expected in June 2002 and November 2002. The two aircraft in question ( msn 88 and 93 ) are currently in service with Air Canada ( as FIN981/982).
18) In addition to several A320s picked up on lease from the former Canada 3000, Skyservice Airlines have leased in three A320s ( ex Fly FTI of the UK) (msn 230/429/437) with V2500 engines from Airtours in the UK for the peak winter schedule.
19) Air Georgian has contracted with Mid-Canada Mod Centre (Mississauga ON) to install dual Rockwell Collins AHC-3000A attitude heading reference systems on 12 Beech 1900Ds starting in the second quarter of 2002, plus 14 options.
20) Vanguard aviation Corp. announces that it has entered into a contract with Honeywell Aircraft Landing Systems to provide services supporting Honeywell's wheel and brake contract with WestJet Airlines. Services will be provided for WestJet's fleet of 23 Boeing 737-200 aircraft and for the new 737-700 aircraft of which 5 have been delivered so far.
21) Atlantis Systems Corp. has been selected by Westland Helicopters Ltd. of the UK to provide a Cockpit Procedures Trainer (CPT) fo the new CH-149 Cormorant Search and Rescue Helicopters being supplied to AgustaWestland to the Canadian Forces.
22) How many of you remember the big Canadair CL-44 swing tail? Check out this website which has production lists, history, fates, survivors, and photos. ( http://www.cl44.com/cl44/cl44.htm )
23) Airtours and JMC Airlines of the UK will both be flying charters to Canada this summer, helping to replace some of the lost capacity with the demise of Canada 3000. JMC will fly once a week to Calgary and Vancouver with an Airbus 330 aircraft from Glasgow and Airtours will serve Toronto up to 4 times per week with a mix of Boeing 767-300s and Airbus 330 aircraft.
24) Atlantic Southest Airlines (ASA) (dba Delta Connection) took delivery of its first 70-passenger CRJ700. There was an official ceremony held on January 29th at the new Bombardier facility at Mirabel airport. ASA also took delivery of another CRJ200 series which was serial number 600. ASA and Comair together are slated to receive 57 CRJ700s! Meanwhile, ASA also announced that it will add another frequencie between Atlanta and Toronto effective April 17th. This will make six non-stops per day for Delta between the two cities.
25) Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) (dba Delta Connection) will provide three daily rountrip regional jet flights beginning May 1st between Boston and Halifax. The carrier will use its Fairchild 328JET aircraft on the route.
26) LOT Polish Airlines will gradually be increasing its frequencies on its scheduled services between Warsaw and Toronto this winter/spring. Currently two flights per week are offered on Wed/Sat, and a third flight will be added on Sundays beginning April 7th. A fourth flight will be added on Fridays effective May 3rd.
27) El Al will be operating an extra flight to Toronto on February 18th with their new Boeing 777 aircraft routing via JFK to arrive at 0835hrs. It will then return the same way departing at 1120hrs. Their current three trips per week with the 767-200 aircraft continue routing TLV-YYZ-LAX and return. However, effective March 31st the 777 will replace the 767-200 until June 23rd when Boeing 747-400s will be used for the peak summer period. Then effective September 10th it will revert back to the Boeing 777 again for the fall.
28) Canada has officially joied the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter team. Canada's participation in the JSF program will be in the System Development and Demonstration phase of the program, enabling the country to influence elements of the JSF design. Its decision to participate in the program opens doors for Canada's industries to participate in advanced-technology development activities that are hallmarks of the JSF program. The new F-35 (JSF) is a stealthy, supersonic multi-role fighter designed to meet requirements for a new generation of transformational weapons. It will be manufactured in three variants; a conventional takeoff and landing variant for the USAF, an aircraft-carrier version for the US Navy, and a short-takeoff/vertical landing version for the U.S. Marine Corps. The UK is evaluating both the STOL and conventional versions.
29) Stymied on an airport code? Can't figure out the airline codes? Try looking at this website which has a vast database available; ( http://www.airportcitycodes.com/aaa/index.html )
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PEARSON AIRPORT VIEWING AREA PETITION
The collection of names is still going on and the list is growing every week. If you have not already done so, we would urge you to go to our website and follow the easy sign-up form to have your name and comments added to the petition.
With the events of September 11th forever changing the way airlines and airports do business, as well as how security is conducted it is more relevant than ever for the GTAA to plan for, and put into use as soon as possible designated viewing areas around the airport perimeters. It would be far easier to control the "viewers" if they were parked in designated spots, than if left to their own ingenuity as currently is the case. Aircraft photographers, families with kids, and aviation buffs in general are not going to go away! We also urge everyone to start writing and phoning your local Member of Parliament for Ontario and for the Federal government and tell them how disappointed you are that there is no definitive plan to include a public indoor viewing area at "Terminal New" which would be accessible to anyone, not just passengers. Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Montreal's-Dorval have terminal viewing areas, but not at YYZ.
Visit our website at (http://www.canairradio.com/petition.asp) Follow the easy fill-in format to add your name to the petition list. You are also welcome to add personal comments.
Also, take a look at comments received already at (http://www.canairradio.com/comments.html)
Also, check out the latest correspondence received at (http://www.canairradio.com/update.html)
Don't leave it for the next guy to do...he's waiting for you!
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Just send us a note with your first and last names, city/town of residence(mandatory), phone number (optional), airline/aviation affiliation if any (mandatory), and the e-mail address you wish to have it sent to. ( yyznews@rogers.com )
Don't forget to notify us if you are changing your internet provider with the new e-mail address.
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Michael
AA PLT,1 MLN Miles+
Hilton Gold
Sheraton Gold
Marriot Silver