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The very broad statement that WestJet has cut airfares in 1/2 and has increased the flying population by 50%. Not so except perhaps on some very limited city pairs and I am not ever sure about that. The statement was correct for the first several years but again on some limited city pairs (due to WestJet's very limited schedule in the early days. Air transportation in Canada - Statistics & Facts | Statista

Porter Airlines’ tentative return to flying shifts to May 19 1 March 2021Canadian Aviation News TORONTO, March 1, 2021 /CNW/ – The target date for Porter Airlines to resume flights is being pushed back to May 19. “The implementation of more restrictive travel rules by governments since our last update makes an early spring restart unviable,” said Michael Deluce, president and CEO of Porter Airlines. “While there are signs of progress in containing the pandemic, it is necessary to reset our sights based on changing conditions. We remain optimistic that things are moving in the right direction, but it is possible that this tentative date may also need to be modified if vaccinations don’t accelerate to enable the easing of travel restrictions.” Porter previously set March 29, as its tentative restart date. Updates will be provided in the coming weeks about the status of flights. Operations were temporarily suspended on March 21, 2020, due to COVID-19. About Porter Airlines Porter Airlines has revolutionized short-haul flying with a warm and effortless approach to hospitality, restoring glamour and refinement to air travel. Porter is an Official 4 Star Airline® in the World Airline Star Rating®.

Talk about False News:

WestJet reaches tentative agreement with CUPE 28 February 2021Canadian Aviation News CUPE Local 4070 represents WestJet Inflight group CALGARY, AB, Feb. 28, 2021 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced that a tentative agreement had been reached with CUPE Local 4070, representation for the WestJet Inflight (Cabin Crew) group. Both parties now await the ratification vote to be put forward to membership. “I am pleased that we’ve tentatively come to terms on the first collective agreement with CUPE Local 4070,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “Our Cabin Crew Members are a valued and integral part of the WestJet team and it is our goal to continue supporting them as they continue the safe, caring service our guests expect of WestJet.” About WestJet In 25 years of serving Canadians, WestJet has cut airfares in half and increased the flying population in Canada to more than 50 per cent. Starting with 250 employees, five destinations and three aircraft, by 2019 the airline had grown to 14,000 employees, 180 aircraft and served more than 100 destinations in 23 countries. Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America as named by Cirium. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com. Share this:

Canada to join US mission to moon by Staff Writers Ottawa Canada (XNA) Feb 26, 2021 Like the International Space Station, the gateway will be assembled in stages, using both NASA and commercial launch vehicles. Canada announced on Thursday that it will send an astronaut to orbit the moon in 2023 as part of NASA's Artemis II mission. "It's official!" Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne tweeted. "Canada will join the US on the first crewed mission to the moon in over 50 years." The Gateway Treaty was signed between the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA last December. Under the treaty, a Canadian will be part of the Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to the moon since 1972. It confirms a second flight for a Canadian astronaut to the Lunar Gateway, a small space station in lunar orbit. Canada will supply the Lunar Gateway with Canadarm3, an autonomous robotic system that will use artificial intelligence to perform tasks around the moon without human intervention. The gateway will be much smaller than the International Space Station orbiting the Earth. It will also be used as a science laboratory, a test-bed for new technologies and as a base for landings and exploration of the moon, and then potentially as a base for a Mars mission. Like the International Space Station, the gateway will be assembled in stages, using both NASA and commercial launch vehicles. Two elements of the gateway -- the Power and Propulsion Element and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost -- will launch together in 2023. Other modules will be added afterwards, according to the CSA.

I took it as the existing work force is 5600 (after 5100 were laid off) and within the 5600 there are 1250 pilots and of those 415 pilots were being laid off. But just a guess on my part..... ?

Lufthansa Outlines Summer Leisure Travel Program by Tom Boon February 25, 2021 2 minute read German flag carrier Lufthansa has today revealed its leisure travel plans for the summer of 2021. The airline will focus on flights to the Caribbean, Greece, and the Canary Islands, giving German holidaymakers plenty of options for experiencing summer sun. Lufthansa, Summer 2021, Leisure Flight Plan Lufthansa has outlined its summer 2021 leisure flight plans. Photo: Tom Boon – Simple Flying With strict travel bans, tied with what German experts are calling the start of the third wave of COVID-19, Lufthansa’s flight levels are currently down 85% year on year, according to data from RadarBox.com. However, it is not just Lufthansa that is suffering. Indeed, airlines worldwide are feeling the impact of the current situation, from LCC Ryanair to flag carrier British Airways. The summer leisure plan Lufthansa is understandably hoping that travel will be doing better by the summer. The airline appears to be banking on the need to holiday building up in those faced with the lockdown blues. As such, across the Lufthansa Group, airlines will offer “the most extensive range of vacation destinations in years”. Lufthansa Outlines Summer Leisure Travel Program - Simple Flying

In every barrel of apples, there is always a rotten one but that does not mean all are rotten.

Inside The British Airways A380: A Complete Tour byTom Boon February 24, 2021 1 share Inside The British Airways A380: A Complete Tour - Simple Flying 1 7 minute read

Metal fatigue apparent factor in United flight's engine explosion (msn.com)

https://www.facebook.com/100001211948066/videos/4032578653459160/

perseverance noun per·se·ver·ance | \ ˌpər-sə-ˈvir-ən(t)s \ Definition of perseverance : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition : the action or condition or an instance of persevering : STEADFASTNESS

Government of Canada launches new aircraft to improve conservation and protection of our oceans 22 February 2021Canadian Aviation News February 19, 2021 St. John’s, NL – Fishery officers require state-of-the-art aerial surveillance equipment to continue the important work they conduct protecting Canada’s marine resources, ensuring compliance with fisheries management measures and enforcing the Fisheries Act from coast to coast to coast. In 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced a five-year, $128 million contract with PAL Aerospace-located in St. John’s, to deliver a new fleet of four aerial surveillance aircrafts, including two long-range maritime patrol aircrafts. When operational, the planes will fly out of three bases of operation: St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and a brand new facility in Campbell River, British Columbia. Today, the first of our long-range maritime patrol aircraft—the Dash-8—becomes operational. The Dash-8 aircraft will allow our fishery officers to expand their range of operations, providing them with essential tools to combat illegal fishing and enhance Canada’s maritime security. This new fleet of aerial surveillance aircraft will also be a crucial tool for the enforcement of measures put in place by the Government of Canada to protect our endangered whales. This includes monitoring the Gulf of St. Lawrence for compliance to fisheries management measures for North Atlantic right whales, as well as monitoring critical habitat areas for Southern Resident killer whales. Photo credit: PAL Aerospace The first of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s long-range maritime patrol aircraft—the Dash-8—becomes operational.

Amazing video: Nasa reveals new video from Mars Perseverance Rover - BBC News Nasa reveals new video from Mars Perseverance Rover The American space agency has released stunning video of its Perseverance rover landing on Mars. Nasa sent Perseverance to Mars festooned with cameras, seven of which were dedicated to recording the landing. Their imagery represents vital feedback for engineers as they look to improve still further the technologies used to put probes on the surface of the Red planet.

quite right i mixed up the types I blame that on not having my morning coffee. ? Regulators probe engine blow-outs as older Boeing 777s suspended By Jamie Freed, David Shepardson and Laurence Frost (Reuters) - Showers of jet engine parts over residential areas on both sides of the Atlantic have caught regulators' attention and prompted the suspension of some older Boeing planes from service. The Saturday incidents involving a United Airlines 777 in Denver and a Longtail Aviation 747 cargo plane in the Netherlands have put engine maker Pratt & Whitney in the spotlight - although there is as yet no indication that their causes are related. Raytheon-owned Pratt & Whitney said it was coordinating with regulators to review inspection protocols. Following the Colorado engine failure, when United Flight 328 dropped debris on a northern Denver suburb before landing safely, Boeing recommended the suspension of 777s with the same PW4000 turbine, and Japan made it mandatory. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) weighed in on Monday, requesting more information on the Pratt engines in light of both events. A woman sustained minor injuries in the Dutch incident, which scattered turbine blades on the town of Meerssen. One was found embedded in a car roof. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would soon issue an emergency airworthiness directive. Both incidents involve the PW4000 engine type that equips a relatively small number of older planes, some grounded by the pandemic, limiting the likely repercussions. They nonetheless bring a new headache for Boeing as it recovers from the much more serious 737-MAX crisis, which saw its flagship narrowbody jet grounded after two deadly crashes. "This is certainly an unwelcome situation for both Boeing and Pratt, but from time to time issues will pop up with aircraft and engines," said Greg Waldron, a managing editor at industry publication Flight Global. "The PW4000-powered 777-200 is slowly fading from service," he said, and the COVID-19 slump means that airlines forced to suspend it "should be able to fill any network gaps" with 787s or other 777s equipped with General Electric engines. Regulators probe engine blow-outs as older Boeing 777s suspended The 777-200s and 777-300s affected are older, less fuel-efficient models still flown by five airlines: United; Japan Airlines; ANA Holdings Inc; Asiana Airlines Inc and Korean Air. Most are in the process of being phased out. Boeing said 69 of the 777s operating globally with PW4000s had been in recent service, with another 59 stored. Pratt & Whitney engines power less than 10% of the delivered 777 fleet of more than 1,600 planes. United suspended 24 of its 777s, pre-empting Boeing's advice, after the Saturday blow-out that dropped the right engine's protective outer casing near homes. In the Dutch case, the Longtail pilot was informed of an engine fire by air traffic control after taking off from Maastricht bound for New York, and diverted to Liege, Belgium. The Dutch Safety Board said on Monday it was investigating the incident. Examination of the 26-year-old United jet showed damage was mostly confined to the right engine, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said. Its inlet and casing became detached and two fan blades were fractured, with others exhibiting damage. The FAA said early findings suggested that "inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes". Earlier in-flight PW4000 engine failures have previously been examined by authorities. Another United 777 of the same vintage suffered an engine failure in February 2018, when a cowling fell off about 30 minutes before the plane landed safely. A full-length fan blade fracture was behind the incident, the NTSB determined. After a malfunction forced a Tokyo-bound JAL 777 to return abruptly to Naha airport in December, Japan's Transport Safety Board reported finding two damaged fan blades, one with a metal fatigue crack. Its investigation is ongoing. JAL, which operates 13 of the planes, said they were scheduled for retirement by March 2022. (Reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney, David Shepardson in Washington and Laurence Frost in Paris; additional reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu and Maki Shiraki in Tokyo, Joyce Lee in Seoul, Tim Hepher in Paris and Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam; Editing by Sam Holmes, Christopher Cushing and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Looks like AC will be exempt from this as I believe their 777s are powered by GE90-115B engines.

Some Boeing 777 airplanes likely to be removed from service, FAA says Pete Muntean and Alaa Elassar The Federal Aviation Administration is stepping up inspections of Boeing 777 airplanes equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines and it's likely some will be removed from service, according to a statement from FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. "We reviewed all available safety data following yesterday's incident," Dickson said, referring to the United Airlines flight that was forced to return to Denver International Airport Saturday after it suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff. "Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for the hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes," Dickson said. Following the FAA announcement, United Airlines said in a statement that it is "immediately" removing 24 Boeing 777 planes that are powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000 series engines "out of an abundance of caution." The 24 aircrafts are part of the 52 777s in the United fleet. The other 28 remain in storage. The move is voluntary and temporary, United said, and should only disrupt "a small number of customers." This developing story will be updated.

Classic definition is indeed correct. There was a similar event near Hawaii also a 777 but this may be of interest https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96738/pdf

747 Operator Atlas Air Turns $360m Profit For 2020 byDaniel Martínez Garbuno February 20, 2021 In 2020, Atlas Air had a net income of $360.3 million due to strong increases in volumes, revenue, and earnings by ongoing demand for the air cargo business worldwide, despite the COVID-19 crisis. The crisis is the best opportunity for cargo airlines The COVID-19 crisis has crippled the aviation industry. Passenger airlines are suffering from the worst demand debacle ever. But, while airlines like Lufthansa, Aeromexico, American Airlines, and many others are posting yearly net losses, cargo carriers seem to be thriving. According to a press release seen by Simple Flying, John Dietrich, president and CEO of Atlas Air said, “We finished this unprecedented year on a strong note, with financial and operating results that exceeded our expectations. I’d like to thank everyone at Atlas for stepping up to deliver an extraordinary peak season and full-year for our business and our customers.” Atlas Air reported a net income of $360.3 million. In contrast, the carrier had a net loss of $293.1 million in 2019, so that’s a turnaround. n December 31, 2020, Atlas Air had cash and cash equivalents worth $856.3 million, compared with the $114.3 million it had one year before. Atlas Air faced the operational complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic by adding widebody capacity. It also increased aircraft utilization and grew block hours to carry volumes at a historic pace. Advertisement: “We are leveraging our unrivaled portfolio of assets and the scale of our global network. We are also continuing to diversify our customer base and have entered into numerous long-term charter agreements with strategic customers,” added Dietrich. The largest 747 operator worldwide continues strong We know Atlas Air as an American airline that offers several cargoes, charter, and leasing operations worldwide. The airline is the largest Boeing B747 operator globally. It has 55 ‘Queens of the Skies’ in its fleet. Last month, Atlas Air announced that it would buy the last four Boeing 747 aircraft ever to be built. These four 747-8 freighters will be delivered between May and October 2022. After that, Boeing will end the production of the iconic aircraft. Atlas Air stated that the 747-8 provides 20% higher payload capacity and 16% lower fuel consumption than the 747-400. The 747-8 also provides a 25% higher capacity than the 777F and reduces noise by approximately 30%. About the order for four new ‘Queens of the Skies,’ John Dietrich added, “We like the aircraft very much; it’s performed exceptionally well for us. And we expect there will be continued demand for that aircraft. What we find in good times and in tougher times, the best, most efficient aircraft are the ones that remain flying, and the 747-8 will certainly be that.” What can we expect for 2021 Despite Atlas Air not providing a full-year 2021 earnings outlook due to the pandemic, we can still see where the airline is going. Atlas Air expects to fly approximately 85,000 block hours in the first quarter of 2021. It aims at having revenue of nearly $820 million and an adjusted EBITDA of about $150 million. The net income should grow up to 65% compared to the one it had during the first quarter of last year, said the airline. Nevertheless, Atlas Air anticipates continued impact by ongoing pandemic-related expenses, like pilot premium pay and operational costs. The committed expenditures to acquire aircraft, such as 747-400 used for replacing older planes, are expected to be $264.7 million in 2021.

NOTE THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE TRUCK IN THE DRIVEWAY, AND THE HOLE IN THE ROOF OF ANOTHER HOUSE ..... LUCKLY NO ONE WAS INJURED. United flight's engine catches fire after Denver takeoff, returns to airport safely | Fox News

FAA Tracking All 737 Max Flights Around World With Satellites 20 February 2021Canadian Aviation News From BNN Bloomberg – link to source story Alan Levin, Bloomberg News | 19 February 2021 A Boeing Co. 737 max aircraft performs a flying display on the second day of the Farnborough International Airshow 2016 in Farnborough, U.K., on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. , Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) — All Boeing Co. 737 Max flights around the world are being tracked by U.S. regulators who are keeping watch on the plane after its 20-month grounding. The Federal Aviation Administration is using a network of satellites capable of tracking planes in even the most remote regions as if they were under surveillance by local radars, according to the agency. The data is being provided by Virginia-based Aireon LLC, the FAA said in an emailed statement on Friday. Aireon, which reached an agreement in November to provide the FAA with expanded flight data, is tracking Max flights for unusual events, such as rapid descents, said Vincent Capezzuto, the company’s chief technology officer. The monitoring began Jan. 29, Capezzuto said during a Feb. 12 webinar hosted by Aviation Week. “Recently, we engaged with them on a 737 Max monitor,” he said. “You can literally monitor it on a situational awareness display.” If any unusual events occur on the plane, “safety engineers and inspectors will use the early notification to further analyze the incident,” the FAA said. The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after a second fatal crash in less than five months. The two incidents caused the deaths of 346 people. The FAA required extensive redesigns of the plane’s flight-control systems. Other regulators, such as the European Aviation Safety Agency, have also begun lifting the flight ban. Aireon was formed in 2012 by Iridium Communications Inc. and Nav Canada, a nonprofit company that guides air traffic in Canada. A constellation of 66 satellites monitor radio beacons from aircraft, providing tracking data that is equivalent to existing ground stations. The system is helping nations including Canada and the U.K. track planes over the ocean. Within weeks of the Aireon system going live, its data was used by U.S. officials, before they’d entered into an agreement with the company, to justify grounding the Max after other nations had done so. The Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed March 10, 2019, wasn’t tracked by local radar, but the Aireon system showed its flight path in detail. ©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Published Friday, February 19, 2021 12:27PM EST Mandatory hotel quarantine rates far lower than $2,000 touted by government | CTV News