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NewLeaf announces service to 7 Canadian cities

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A new discount airline in Canada is set to take off next month.
NewLeaf Travel announced Wednesday that it will fly between seven airports in Canada starting Feb. 12.
They include Halifax, Hamilton, Regina, Saskatoon, the B.C. cities of Abbotsford and Kelowna, and Winnipeg, where the carrier is based.
The company is promoting one-way fares for as low as $89, but in exchange passengers will face charges for carry-on bags, seat selection, drinks and printed boarding passes.
NewLeaf Travel says its initial scheduling won’t see it fly daily as it plans to focus on leisure and vacation travel, but that could change if there is demand for it.
The Globe And Mail

A new airline set to take flight today is offering ultra-low fares between seven Canadian cities for as little as $89 for a one-way flight.
NewLeaf revealed its flight plans at joint events in Kelowna, B.C., Winnipeg and Hamilton that started at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
As of Feb. 12, flights are available from seven Canadian airports:
-Abbotsford, B.C.
-Halifax
-Hamilton, Ont.
-Kelowna, B.C.
-Regina
-Saskatoon
-Winnipeg
CEO Jim Young says the company is focusing on second-tier airports in part because “lower landing fees mean we have savings we can pass on to you.”
Young said the airline is looking at adding U.S. sun destinations later in 2016.
The airline will partner with B.C.-based charter airline Flair Airlines for planes, crew and maintenance work. All of the planes will be Boeing 737-400s, with 156 seats in a three-and-three configuration with an aisle up the middle.
The lowest fee of $89 includes all applicable taxes, and even the highest priced route and seat will cap out at $149, one way, for a no-frills ticket.
But the airline does charge a fee for other services including $25 for carry-on bags, the same price as a checked bag.
“So leave the heavy lifting to us,” Young said.
NewLeaf said it can save money in part because it won’t offer its seats on any third-party travel websites, which charge airlines a fee to post and make sales there. “That’s one of the things that lets us keep costs low,” Young said.
Personal items that fit under the seat in front will be free, but the airline will charge for snacks and refreshments. And NewLeaf offers priority boarding to those who want it, for a fee.
“By unbundling the entire service you get to choose what you want,” Young said, noting his airline is taking the same business model of other successful airline businesses in other countries. “Ultra low-cost carriers are some of the most financially successful airlines in the world today,” he said.
The air travel industry in Canada is dominated by WestJet and Air Canada, but is also served by many regional and charter companies that cater to small segments of the market.
Darcy Morgan, chief commercial officer of Calgary-based charter airline Enerjet, says Canada is more than able to handle competition in the industry.
“Canada is not well-served by airlines today, and as much as there’s a duopoly of Air Canada and WestJet, Canada lacks the low-cost point to point service pretty much every nation has available,” he said in an interview.
“If there’s an opening in the market, we believe that’s it.”
Barry Prentice, a professor at the Asper School of Business in Winnipeg, agrees with that assessment, and thinks starting service out of second-tier airports is a smart plan.
“I think it could fly,” he said in an interview. “Typically lower cost stimulates demand. I think we’ll see more people travel that haven’t travelled before.”
CBC News

Passengers stuck on Sunwing flight at Hamilton for 8 hours

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A lot of angry passengers have finally arrived home in Calgary after spending eight hours sitting on a Sunwing flight on the runway at the airport in Hamilton.
The flight from the Dominican Republic to Calgary stopped for a crew change and to refuel in Hamilton on Monday night as the area was being hit by a massive storm.
Sunwing says the poor weather conditions made it problematic to attach the ramp to the plane.
But passengers say it was a nightmare, with people demanding to get off and some having panic attacks.
Pauline Lamoureaux says the conditions were inhumane because there was no ventilation and few services on the plane.
She says they were only allowed to deplane around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning after someone called 911 for help.
“It wasn’t a good scene at all,” she says.
“We knew that Hamilton seemed like a crazy place to stop, because we were leaving Punta Cana and going to Calgary, we heard there’s an ice storm in Ontario,” says Jessica Kowalski. “Why are we stopping there? It didn’t make any sense.”
Passengers were eventually taken to a hotel paid for by Sunwing, where they got an hour or two of sleep before being placed on another flight home to Calgary.
The company apologized for the inconvenience and is offering passengers a $150 travel voucher.
CBC News

Air Canada flight returns to Pearson because of unruly passenger

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An Air Canada flight en route to Delhi was diverted back to Toronto early Wednesday after an unruly passenger allegedly assaulted a flight attendant.
Sgt. Rob Lyall of Peel Regional Police says a man in his 40s was taken into custody after the alleged incident, which occurred around midnight while the plane was over the ocean.
The flight attendant was not injured.
The flight was initially scheduled to take off earlier Tuesday but poor weather prompted Air Canada to postpone the flight shortly after the plane made it to the runway.
The flight is now scheduled to leave Pearson International Airport at noon today.
No names have been released.
The Globe And Mail