Maritime airports continue to combat challenges that cascade from Toronto, Montreal chaos
Maritime airports continue to combat challenges that cascade from Toronto, Montreal chaos
Whether its airlines, airports, or the federal government’s ArriveCan app, who to blame for the chaos facing Canada’s travel industry continues to be a question for thousands of passengers.
New Brunswick's education minister lashed out at Air Canada over the weekend, saying the airline is incompetent because it decided on the weekend to cancel a Monday flight that would have taken him and four officials to a meeting in Regina.
Dominic Cardy posted a series of tweets Saturday, saying the cancellation -- announced earlier that day -- means New Brunswick will not have representation at this year's meeting of the Council of Ministers of Education.
Cardy followed up by calling for deregulation of Canada's airline industry.
"I'm speaking for myself," he wrote. "I hope Canadians start asking why we pay more for flights than anyone in the world, in exchange for terrible service. Paying for unavailable services isn't left versus right. It's called being ripped off."
It’s the second time in less than a month Cardy has complained about the industry.
While Pearson has seen some of the worst travel experiences so far this year, Richard Vanderlubbe, an Association of Canadian Travel Agencies director and president of tripcentral.ca, says delays at larger airports can cascade to smaller ones.
It has caused Air Canada to cutback some of its regular flights in every Atlantic province over the summer, mostly to and from Montreal and Toronto.
“You might be affected by a delay in Pearson and you're an airport away, not realizing it,” he told CTV News Channel. "It's one of those things that's like a tightly tuned drumhead. There's not much slack in the system."
That cascade is exactly what many Maritime airports are experiencing.
"It's a network. So the planes have to go somewhere or they have to come from somewhere and that's where we're seeing our challenges," said Kate O’Rourke, manager of public relations at the Fredericton International Airport.
Fredericton lost one Montreal flight through Air Canada, but O’Rourke says the airline has made other changes too.
"They've also made the planes on the other flights larger. So they're really kind of trying to work within what they've got - and all the other carriers are doing that – and trying to fly less at the peak hours and more at the off hours to even out that load a little bit," she said.
Some airlines have been able to avoid the problems plaguing the major ones.
Porter Airlines – which services most Maritime cities – isn’t planning to make any changes in its summer schedule.
"Billy Bishop Airport is running relatively well compared to larger airports and we have resources in place for the period. It will be a busy time, with a comparable number of passengers to 2019,” the airline said in a statement.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and senior RCMP officers are defending the national police force's years-long and previously undisclosed use of spyware—capable of remotely accessing cell phone and computer microphones, cameras and other data—as part of dozens of major investigations.
Saskatoon police say a woman who had been reported missing is facing charges in the United States related to unauthorized use of identification and in Canada related to parental abduction and public mischief.
Ontario's health minister said Monday that six hospitals had to close departments -- including ERs -- over the weekend, but argued that the situation wasn't unprecedented.
Sources close to the government's proposed $5.3 billion dental care program say the Liberals are planning a temporary solution that involves giving money directly to patients in order to keep their promise to the NDP while they work on a more permanent answer.
A suspect already in handcuffs has allegedly managed to overpower a Toronto police officer and steal their SUV, sending police on a wild early morning chase that ended with an attempted carjacking.
Ontario hospitals are upholding their mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for employees as staff shortages mount to a 'crisis' with more emergency departments temporarily closing over the weekend.
Ontario's health minister said Monday that six hospitals had to close departments -- including ERs -- over the weekend, but argued that the situation wasn't unprecedented.
A Calgary man and woman face 33 charges for alleged drug possession in addition to alleged firearm possession that police say was for the purpose of trafficking drugs.
Quebec's chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into the death of 26-year-old Abdulla Shaikh, who is suspected of killing the three men at random last week.
One day after Montreal Pride abruptly cancelled the parade just hours before it was set to begin, organizers didn't have much to say about how poorly they managed the festival's marquee event. And now there are concerns about how the embarrassing mistake could hurt the city's reputation.
Montreal police are investigating the suspicious death of a man whose body was found in a bin during recycling collection in the city's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood Monday morning.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and senior RCMP officers are defending the national police force's years-long and previously undisclosed use of spyware—capable of remotely accessing cell phone and computer microphones, cameras and other data—as part of dozens of major investigations.
A Manitoba woman who abused and killed her daughter in one of the province's most notorious crimes has been granted escorted temporary absences from prison.
Ottawa's Confederation Line LRT will be closing early on a total of 10 days this month as crews perform maintenance on the tracks, with reduced service planned on parts of the line for two other nights.
OC Transpo is advising customers to prepare for more bus trip cancellations today and this week, as the transit service deals with a staffing shortage caused by summer vacations and sick leave absences.
Several belongings have been found, but there's still no sign of an American man who crossed the border to attend a music festival, officials said, announcing the suspension of search efforts.
A mom in Chilliwack, B.C., says she was terrified after her children were exposed to an unknown irritant at a local playground that caused their skin and eyes to burn.
The City of Victoria is marking the grand opening of its newest bike and skateboard park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and demonstrations by some professional riders Saturday.
