It will be interesting to see how the "real life" folks critique this show.

Sunwing knew company was about to be sold to Westjet during labour talks, pilots union alleges

 

Pete Evans · CBC News · Posted: Jul 04, 2022 4:00 PM ET | Last Updated: 26 minutes ago

 

Sunwing inked a deal to be taken over by Westjet just weeks after signing a labour pact with its pilot union. The union has now filed an official complaint with the Industrial Relations Board alleging the company negotiated in bad faith. (Todd Korol/Reuters, Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)

 

The union that represents the pilots at discount airline Sunwing has filed an official complaint with Canada's Industrial Relations Board alleging that the company negotiated a recent labour deal in bad faith because it knew a sale of the airline to Westjet was on the table.

The Unifor union made a deal with the airline on behalf of the 451 pilots it represents that brought modest wage increases and improvements to other benefits. When the deal was ratified in February, it was hailed as an agreement that would bring some stability to all sides in what had been an up and down few years for the airline industry.

But that optimism started to wane when the airline announced a few weeks later that it has agreed to be acquired by Calgary-based Westjet.

The union is alleging that the airline's management knew that a takeover offer was in the works, and had they shared that with the union during the negotiations, they wouldn't have made the concessions they did.

As such, the union is filing an official complaint with Canada's Industrial Relations Board alleging that the company was bargaining in bad faith by not disclosing its looming sale.

"It was of paramount importance to the union to receive assurances from the employer that it was not discussing a sale to WestJet, as any potential sale would have had important consequences on the union's positions with respect to bargaining," the filing reads.

CBC News reached out to Sunwing and Westjet for comment. Those requests were not returned.

While Unifor initially welcomed the merger, since then they say the company is seeking further savings via contract violations as air travel ramps up again from its pandemic doldrums.

"What we'd like to do is to revisit the areas of the collective agreement that would have been discussed and negotiated differently had the airline come to us and been honest that these discussions were taking place" said Barret Armann, president of Unifor Local 7378, which represents the pilots, in an interview with CBC News.

The union says it doesn't object to the merger, but simply wants to ensure Sunwing pilots will be on a level playing field with other Westjetters if and when it happens

"The company said it was a great plan to expand. We think it's a great idea provided there's wage parity and that they will agree to whatever deals we come up with," Armann said. "At the end of the day our pilots don't want to be kicked to the street to start again."

Airport chaos

The Sunwing merger with Westjet is slated to be completed by the end of this year, both companies have previously said.

It's not immediately clear what the filing with the board means for the deal's likelihood of going through. It already faces numerous regulatory hurdles, including from Canada's Competition Bureau, which has already said it plans to review the deal to make sure it is a good thing for consumers.

Long security lines at several Canadian airports are the result of a shortage in staff, according to officials. The union representing screening officers suggests recruitment and retention challenges would be resolved if employees were better trained and paid more.

The potential of labour strife is yet another piece of bad news for Canada's snarled travel industry, which has been beset by staff shortages, long lines, rampant delays and baggage headaches amid the pandemic.

Armann puts most of the blame for what's happening at Canadian airports right now squarely at the feet of the airlines themselves, who cut staffing to the bone during the pandemic, begged for help from government, and are now scrambling to ramp up again.

• Passengers still face travel disruption as Sunwing delays caused by data security breach continue

"It's all a factor of companies laying everybody off and [now] running to the employees saying, 'Can you come and work for us?" Armann said. "You threw us to the curb for a year and half when we could barely pay our mortgages and now you want us to work really hard."

John Gradek, a former executive at Air Canada who is now a lecturer on the aviation industry at McGill University in Montreal, told CBC News on Monday he expects those issues to persist at least through the summer.

"Unless you have a high tolerance for risk, it's probably not a good time to travel," Gradek said. "Patience is the operative word."

Feeling entitled..... much.......  and he is calling for "deregulation of the industry". I guess he didn't know that was done many years ago.

1 hour ago, spreadsheet said:

More cuts to come, or are they including some previous cuts? Don't believe this is close to 150/day.

Have you crunched the numbers or just WAG?

Airline passenger spent a total of 11 hours on hold to customer service before giving up and booking new tickets for $800

CF Snowbirds planned return on July 9 with show in Kelowna

2 July 2022 – Link to announcement

Revised Schedule

Date	Location
July
9-10 ~~ Added	Kelowna, British Columbia
16 – 17	Cold Lake, Alberta
20	Terrace, British Columbia
23 – 24	Calgary-Springbank, Alberta
27 ~~ Added	Vancouver **
30 – 31	Fort St. John, British Columbia
August
3	Penticton, British Columbia
5 ‑ 7	Abbotsford, British Columbia
9 ~~ Added	White Rock, British Columbia
13 ‑ 14	Edmonton-Villeneuve, Alberta
27 ‑ 28	Debert, Nova Scotia
September
3 ‑ 5	Toronto, Ontario
9 ‑ 11	London, Ontario
14	Tillsonburg, Ontario
17 ‑ 18	Gatineau, Quebec
21 ~~ Added	Kitchener, Ontario
24 ‑ 25	Mirabel, Quebec
October
1 ‑ 2	Huntington Beach, California, USA
8 ‑ 9	San Francisco, California, USA
15 ‑ 16	Santa Maria, California, USA

 ** Denotes a non-aerobatic display

 

Related

 

Air Canada’s Summer 2022 Schedule Adjustments

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Air Canada cancels 154 flights a day this summer amid 'unprecedented and unforeseen strains'

 

Air Canada cancels 154 flights a day this summer amid 'unprecedented and unforeseen strains' | Financial Post

A Message from Air Canada’s President

29 June 2022 – To Aeroplan Members

At Air Canada, we know how important travel plans are. This is even more the case today when many are taking their first trip in years following the pandemic. Whether for long‑anticipated vacations, visits with relatives and friends, or for business, we are grateful and recognize our responsibility when people like you entrust your travel to our airline.

Regrettably, things are not business as usual in our industry globally, and this is affecting our operations and our ability to serve you with our normal standards of care. The COVID‑19 pandemic brought the world air transport system to a halt in early 2020. Now, after more than two years, global travel is resurgent, and people are returning to flying at a rate never seen in our industry.

This surge in travel has created unprecedented and unforeseen strains on all aspects of the global aviation system. Around the world, there are recurring incidents of flight delays and airport congestion, resulting from a complex array of persistent factors impacting airlines and our partners in the aviation ecosystem. Similar effects are being seen in other industries too, where companies and suppliers are struggling to restart, unclog supply chains and meet pent‑up demand.

At Air Canada, we anticipated many of these factors and began taking tangible action during the depth of the pandemic to be ready for a rapid restart. Yet, despite detailed and careful planning, the largest and fastest scale of hiring in our history, as well as investments in aircraft and equipment, it is now clear that Air Canada’s operations too have been disrupted by the industry’s complex and unavoidable challenges. The result has been flight cancellations and customer service shortfalls on our part that we would never have intended for our customers or for our employees, and for which we sincerely apologize.

In response, we took a number of important steps, including introducing flexible ticket policies, new travel self-management tools, improvements to airport operations, as well adjustments to our schedule ‑ all to strengthen operational resiliency and to give customers more options. However, to bring about the level of operational stability we need, with reluctance, we are now making meaningful reductions to our schedule in July and August in order to reduce passenger volumes and flows to a level we believe the air transport system can accommodate.

This was not an easy decision, as it will result in additional flight cancellations that will have a negative impact on some customers. But doing this in advance allows affected customers to take time to make other arrangements in an orderly manner, rather than have their travel disrupted shortly before or during their journey, with few alternatives available. It will also enable us to more reliably serve all customers.

I can assure you Air Canada is also working in close cooperation with airports, government, and its third‑party service providers, who all are striving to return our industry to pre‑pandemic standards of operation.

We are convinced these changes will bring about the improvements we have targeted. But to set expectations, it should also be understood the real benefits of this action will take time and be felt only gradually as the industry regains the reliability and robustness it had attained prior to the pandemic.

On behalf of all of us at Air Canada, please accept my sincere apologies for any disruption you have experienced or may experience with your travel plans during this unprecedented period. I also assure you that we very clearly see the challenges at hand, that we are taking action, and that we are confident we have the strategy to address them. This is our company’s chief focus at every level.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We certainly look forward to future opportunities to serve you and regain your loyalty at a time when we can better demonstrate our commitment to taking good care of customers such as yourself.

Sincerely,

Michael Rousseau
President and Chief Executive Officer
Air Canada

Air Canada cuts a number of Moncton and Bathurst flights

The flight reductions are expected to last into August, said airport CEO

 

Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport CEO Courtney Burns says the cancellations are due to a staff shortage. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)

 

After Canada Day, Air Canada will not offer its early morning flight from Moncton to Montreal or its late night flight from Montreal to Moncton. 

In fact, both the Moncton and Bathurst airports will have fewer Air Canada flights to and from Montreal next month. 

There will be 63 flights, instead of 93, from Montreal to the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport in July.

• No plans to close airports as province looks to add more routes

• 'Domino effect': Flight delays in New Brunswick likely caused by holdups in other cities

The airline will also reduce flights from Montreal to the Bathurst Regional Airport from 31 to 18. 

Courtney Burns, president of the Greater Moncton airport, said she learned about the Air Canada cuts Monday. 

They include the flight departing Moncton for Montreal at 6:05 a.m. and the flight arriving in Moncton from Montreal at 11:33 p.m. 

 

Air Canada will no longer offer its early morning flight from Moncton to Montreal for the month of July. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)

"It's a personnel issue," said Burns. "What they're choosing to do is pull the flight out of the schedule, so passengers don't book the flight and it ends up needing to be cancelled the majority of days." 

Burns said she was told the flight would return in August, but hopes it will return even sooner. 

"It's a staple flight for Air Canada, so I don't expect this will be long-term," she said. 

Air Canada will still offer a mid-late morning flight and late afternoon flight to Montreal in July. 

For passengers who have already booked the early morning flight, Burns said the airline is responsible for offering either a credit or to switch passengers to the next immediate flight. 

Air Canada has cut dozens of flights from the Moncton and Bathurst airports in July. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

"Passengers who may be impacted by that cancellations can expect to hear from Air Canada," she said. 

Bathurst Airport CEO Jamie Degrace confirmed to Radio-Canada the flight reduction is because of staff shortages at the Toronto Pearson Airport which affects a wide range of flights. 

Degrace expects the shortages will impact flights into August. 

Air Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Virgin Orbit on target for next launch window to open June 29
by Staff Writers
Long Beach CA (SPX) Jun 28, 2022

file illustration

Virgin Orbit (Nasdaq: VORB)'s launch system is in place at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The dress rehearsals are complete, and the company remains on track for its upcoming Straight Up launch, with a launch window opening on June 29 at 10 pm PDT.

The launch will support the United States Space Force's STP-S28A mission and carry payloads for the Department of Defense (DOD) Space Test Program (STP). The target orbit for Straight Up is approximately 500 km above the Earth's surface at a 45-degree inclination. Virgin Orbit is the first company to achieve this feat from California through its Above the Clouds launch which was completed earlier this year.

As of the date of this release, Tyler Grinnell, Vice President of Test, Flight and Launch for Virgin Orbit, advises that everything is going according to plan and remains on schedule in preparation for the company's fourth mission.

"Our hardware is in top-notch condition, and the team is performing exceptionally, as we prepare for our first night-time launch," Grinnell said. "The perspective we've gained from each previous launch is really paying off now. Our crews in the sky and on the ground are ready to further our mission of getting our customers' satellites precisely where they need to go."

Warbird Photos Aviation Photography by Britt Dietz

Quote

Air Canada Lays Out Key Steps In Aviation Recovery Plan

BYJAMIE MOORE

PUBLISHED 21 HOURS AGO

 

The Canadian airline hopes to return back to normal as it sets out these key steps.

Photo: Getty Images

Air Canada will operate the 787-9 before increasing capacity.

Following a summit with the Canadian Federal Transport Minister, Canadian airline Air Canada has released key steps in its Aviation Recovery Plan. Senior representatives at Air Canada met with the Canadian Transport Minister alongside other participants. The steps are vital in getting business back to normal at Air Canada. Just recently, Air Canada announced its plans to return to Bangkok after 6 years.

In a statement made by Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, Mr Rousseau said, "At Air Canada, we know every trip is important, even more so today as many are flying for the first time in years to see loved ones or take an eagerly anticipated holiday. We are determined not to disappoint and have been long preparing for a travel surge this summer, including coordinating with our industry partners."

Reemploying workers

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Air Canada hard. During the height of the pandemic, Air Canada was forced to lay off workers. This decision was not taken lightly. In January 2021, Air Canada laid off 1,700 of its workers.

However, Canada's largest airline announced this week that it had recalled all of its employees who were previously left unemployed. Currently, Air Canada has 32,000 employees, versus approximately 33,000 before the pandemic, while operating approximately 80 per cent of its June 2019 schedule.

 

Air Canada has recalled all of its staff laid off during the pandemic. 

In addition to the recall of employees, Air Canada has hired over 2,000 staff to help customers on the ground with their queries. Employees have been reassigned from other bases to augment specific airports, including the cross-utilization of cargo employees to assist with airport passenger operations.

 

Customer experiences plans

Air Canada has set out many vital steps to aid the recovery. Included in the plan is its new Self-Service Re-accommodation tools, which will allow customers who have schedule changes, delays, or cancellations to request a refund if eligible or rebook their itineraries in a few minutes using Air Canada's mobile app or website.

A second new policy will allow customers free, same-day standby options for earlier flights within Canada/Transborder regardless of fare brand or booking class

 

Airport plans

Passengers flying through Toronto Pearson have the option to extend their connection time. This goodwill policy allows customers to voluntarily increase their connection time at no cost for more flexibility when traveling. This policy can be applied within 48 hours of the original travel time.

Air Canada also has acquired additional ground handling vehicles to improve airport efficiency. The airline is also working closely with airports to enhance and expedite the processing of customers throughout their journey.

"As all businesses worldwide are finding, restarting after COVID is an, extremely complex task, and we deeply appreciate our customers' understanding and patience during these often-frustrating times. I also thank our dedicated employees who are working hard to serve our customers and transport them safely,"

 

Network upgrades

Air Canada has introduced a Minimum Connection Times for flights from international and transborder destinations connecting to domestic destinations have been increased by 30 minutes for new bookings in Toronto and Montreal, giving customers (and their baggage) additional time to connect.

Their schedule has been refined to reduce peak times at the Toronto-Pearson and Montreal-Trudeau airports by rescheduling and canceling certain flights or reducing frequencies, where protection is available to customers on the same day.

What do you think of the recovery plan? Have you flown with Air Canada? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Air Canada Lays Out Key Steps In Aviation Recovery Plan (simpleflying.com)

Review: Air Canada Signature Suite Vancouver [2022]

by Gary Leff on June 25, 2022

Here’s everything Air Canada is doing to keep travel moving this summer

1 hour ago, MCPSPEED said:

Of course the luggage had to have been offloaded.  I’m sure it did and this was embellished.

Talk about the perfect plan.  Check you luggage with an explosive, cause a scene to get kicked off and watch the plane takeoff

I can not find any regulations that require the removal of the baggage. Can you point to either law in Canada or Britain ?

better safe than sorry but disappointing

Quote

 

The Canadian Press

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Technical issue temporarily stops Canadian Forces Snowbirds from flight performances

 

 

© Provided by The Canadian PressTechnical issue temporarily stops Canadian Forces Snowbirds from flight performances

OTTAWA — The Department of National Defence says the Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be unable to fly in planned air shows and flypasts until a technical issue is resolved.

That means performances next Wednesday in the Moncton, N.B., area will be cancelled while technicians work to get the team back in the air for Canada Day in Ottawa.

The department says in a news release the issue relates to a device that sets the timing for the deployment of the parachute during the ejection sequence.

It says during routine maintenance, technicians discovered the tool may not be calibrated accurately and the parachutes will now be retested and repacked to ensure proper timing for their activation in the event of an emergency.

It's not known how long it will take to fix the issue, but the release says the Royal Canadian Air Force is working with experts and a third-party aviation contractor to get the team back in the air as soon as it is safe to do so.

It adds Air Force experts have determined there is no link between the 2020 crash in Kamloops, B.C., that killed Capt. Jenn Casey — which occurred after a bird flew into an engine — and the current issue with the parachute device.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2022.

The Canadian Press

I bet not everyone will agree....

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Canada has 3 of the world’s most liveable cities in 2022

Michelle Butterfield - Yesterday 4:02 p.m.

React80 Comments|

© Getty ImagesSunset over Calgary skyline with the annual Stampede event at the Saddledome grounds.

Toronto and Vancouver might hog the spotlight when it comes to well-known Canadian cities, but it turns out Calgary is the best place to live – at least this year.

The annual ranking of the world's most liveable cities has been released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and 2022's Global Liveability Index, and Canada was the biggest winner, with three of its cities nabbing a spot in the top 10.

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Cowtown, as it's affectionately known, grabs not only the honour of being the top-ranked Canadian city on the list, but also comes in at #3, worldwide.

The ranking rates 172 cities around the world on over 30 factors, including access to healthcare, amount of green space, cultural and sports activities, crime rates and infrastructure.

"The concept of liveability is simple: It assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions," the Economist report states. A score of 1 is "intolerable," according to the EIU, while 100 is "ideal."

Each year the list typically has many North America and western European cities claim top honours, and this year is no exception. Vienna, Austria claimed the top spot, followed by Copenhagen, Denmark. Zurich, Switzerland and Calgary tied for third spot. Vancouver followed just behind, claiming the fifth position.

However, factors like war, unrest, and the ability to cope with COVID played into the rankings, meaning there were some key shifts when comparing this year's rankings to 2021's list.

Calgary, the third-largest municipality in Canada as ranked by StatCan, rose 15 spots since 2021, fueled by the city's early easing of pandemic restrictions. The city garnered a score of 96.3.

Vancouver, which had fallen out of the Top 10 in 2021, was nipping closely on Calgary's heels with a score of 96.1.

Toronto found its way back to a top spot, coming in eight after falling out of the top 10 in 2021.

Read more:

 

 

Work-life balance: These 4 Canadian cities are ranked among top 20 globally

Auckland, New Zealand fell to 33rd place this year – a mighty plunge from last year's first-place ranking, which was secured when the country closed its borders due to the pandemic and allowed residents to live fairly normal lives.

Similarly, while Australia claimed four spots in the top 10 last year due to excellent quality of life and limited restrictions during the pandemic, three of those cities — Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth — fell out of the top 10 this year as much of the world lifted COVID restrictions.

"Western European and Canadian cities dominate the top of our rankings," the report stated. "Life is almost back to normal in these cities on account of high COVID-19 vaccination rates and the easing of restrictions."

The rankings also note that Kyiv, Ukraine was not assessed this year due to the geopolitical unrest caused when Russia invaded in February. Russian cities Moscow and St. Petersburg also fell low in the rankings over "censorship" and the impact of western sanctions.

Read more:

Toronto is the 4th best city in the world for Gen Z. But can they afford it?

The Economist warns that no ranking is forever, though, and that due to rising inflation, fuel costs, and unstable food supply, next year's rankings could look much different.

"The welcome rise in liveability this year might be short-lived," the publication wrote.

TOP 10 CITIES

1. Vienna, Austria

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

3. Zurich, Switzerland (tie)

3. Calgary, Canada (tie)

5. Vancouver, Canada

6. Geneva, Switzerland

7. Frankfurt, Germany

8. Toronto, Canada

9. Amsterdam, Netherlands

10. Osaka, Japan (tie)

10. Melbourne, Australia (tie)

Video: These Canadians cities were ranked among the best in the world to drive in

 

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NASA's Curiosity Captures Stunning Views of a Changing Mars Landscape
by Staff Writers
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 23, 2022

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this view of layered, flaky rocks believed to have formed in an ancient streambed or small pond. The six images that make up this mosaic were captured using Curiosity's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on June 2, 2022, the 3,492nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Striking rock formations documented by the rover provide evidence of a drying climate in the Red Planet's ancient past.

For the past year, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has been traveling through a transition zone from a clay-rich region to one filled with a salty mineral called sulfate. While the science team targeted the clay-rich region and the sulfate-laden one for evidence each can offer about Mars' watery past, the transition zone is proving to be scientifically fascinating as well. In fact, this transition may provide the record of a major shift in Mars' climate billions of years ago that scientists are just beginning to understand.

The clay minerals formed when lakes and streams once rippled across Gale Crater, depositing sediment at what is now the base of Mount Sharp, the 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain whose foothills Curiosity has been ascending since 2014. Higher on the mountain in the transition zone, Curiosity's observations show that the streams dried into trickles and sand dunes formed above the lake sediments.

"We no longer see the lake deposits that we saw for years lower on Mount Sharp," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "Instead, we see lots of evidence of drier climates, like dry dunes that occasionally had streams running around them. That's a big change from the lakes that persisted for perhaps millions of years before."

As the rover climbs higher through the transition zone, it is detecting less clay and more sulfate. Curiosity will soon drill the last rock sample it will take in this zone, providing a more detailed glimpse into the changing mineral composition of these rocks.

Unique geologic features also stand out in this zone. The hills in the area likely began in a dry environment of large, wind-swept sand dunes, hardening into rock over time. Interspersed in the remains of these dunes are other sediments carried by water, perhaps deposited in ponds or small streams that once wove among the dunes. These sediments now appear as erosion-resistant stacks of flaky layers, like one nicknamed "The Prow."

Making the story richer yet more complicated is the knowledge that there were multiple periods in which groundwater ebbed and flowed over time, leaving a jumble of puzzle pieces for Curiosity's scientists to assemble into an accurate timeline.

Ten Years On, Going Strong
Curiosity will celebrate its 10th year on Mars Aug. 5. While the rover is showing its age after a full decade of exploring, nothing has prevented it from continuing its ascent.

On June 7, Curiosity went into safe mode after detecting a temperature reading on an instrument control box within the body of the rover that was warmer than expected. Safe mode occurs when a spacecraft senses an issue and automatically shuts down all but its most essential functions so that engineers can assess the situation.

Although Curiosity exited safe mode and returned to normal operations two days later, JPL's engineers are still analyzing the exact cause of the issue. They suspect safe mode was triggered after a temperature sensor provided an inaccurate measurement, and there's no sign it will significantly affect rover operations since backup temperature sensors can ensure the electronics within the rover body aren't getting too hot.

The rover's aluminum wheels are also showing signs of wear. On June 4, the engineering team commanded Curiosity to take new pictures of its wheels - something it had been doing every 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) to check their overall health.

The team discovered that the left middle wheel had damaged one of its grousers, the zig-zagging treads along Curiosity's wheels. This particular wheel already had four broken grousers, so now five of its 19 grousers are broken.

The previously damaged grousers attracted attention online recently because some of the metal "skin" between them appears to have fallen out of the wheel in the past few months, leaving a gap.

The team has decided to increase its wheel imaging to every 1,640 feet (500 meters) - a return to the original cadence. A traction control algorithm had slowed wheel wear enough to justify increasing the distance between imaging.

"We have proven through ground testing that we can safely drive on the wheel rims if necessary," said Megan Lin, Curiosity's project manager at JPL. "If we ever reached the point that a single wheel had broken a majority of its grousers, we could do a controlled break to shed the pieces that are left. Due to recent trends, it seems unlikely that we would need to take such action. The wheels are holding up well, providing the traction we need to continue our climb."

Video: How Scientists Study Wind on Mars (NASA Mars News Report June 22, 2022)

KF Aerospace hosts Career Fair on July 7th

June 22, 2022

Kelowna’s largest private sector employer is hiring for over 100 new positions at its headquarters in Kelowna, BC.

KF Aerospace is opening its hangar doors for a Career Fair on Thursday, July 7th. You’re invited for an exclusive inside look at a variety of career opportunities with KF’s world-leading aviation services.

The open-house event will showcase both skilled trades and entry-level roles including aircraft interior technician, hangar support, customer service and materials coordinator. Human Resources Manager, Susan van Unen says applicants of all backgrounds are welcome. “For our entry level roles, we provide on-the-job training that allows you to work towards a nationally recognized certification,” she says. “If you have a great attitude and are ready to learn and grow with us, we’d love to meet you.”

Okanagan College will be available to introduce prospective students to the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) training programs. Guests can also join guided tours of the facility and meet with KF staff to learn about other professional avenues including aerospace engineering, logistics, supply chain, administration and IT.

The company expects to fill over 100 jobs by 2023 to support growing demand for its aircraft maintenance and modification services, says Chief Corporate Services Officer, Grant Stevens. “We are increasing both staffing and hangar space to accommodate our upcoming passenger to freighter conversion program for Boeing and our aircraft leasing division,” he says. Facility expansion projects will add 40,000 sq feet to KF’s Kelowna base this year. An onsite café recently opened, and a YMCA daycare facility for the YLW Airport Campus is also scheduled to open in 2023, with dedicated spaces for KF families.

KF is proud to offer its staff industry competitive wages, a comprehensive employee benefits package with extended medical and dental coverage, paid time-off, career advancement and an annual profit-sharing program.

The KF Aerospace Career Fair takes place from 3:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursday, July 7^thin KF’s West Hangar at 5650 Aerospace Drive in Kelowna. Free parking will be provided.

About KF Aerospace

We’re all about THE CRAFT.

For 52 years, KF Aerospace has delivered innovative aircraft solutions for corporate, commercial and military customers worldwide—including OEM’s like Boeing; major airlines like WestJet, Sunwing, Cargojet, Lynden Air Cargo and Icelandair; and the RCAF. From humble roots in the Okanagan Valley, KF has grown to specialize in aircraft maintenance and modifications, military aircrew training, air cargo operations and leasing—with the same commitment to quality and service established by its founder in 1970. KF Aerospace is Kelowna’s largest private sector employer with nearly 800 staff in the Okanagan, and over 1,000 staff across Canada.

 

Related

 

Flair Airlines shakes off regulator's scrutiny — now can it survive the market?

Discount upstart faces steep challenge in airspace dominated by two giants

Flair Airlines Ltd. is clearly relishing this moment. The upstart carrier prevailed in a recent ruling by Canada’s aviation regulator that deemed the company sufficiently Canadian to continue flying domestically. Flair responded with a flash seat sale, discounting fares by 50 per cent, and let loose a blast of triumphant tweets: “We’re here… still,” the company cheekily wrote. “Blue skies ahead.”

Article content

It wasn’t obvious a few months ago that Flair would still be flying this summer.

The discount carrier’s future looked anything but assured in April when it became clear that an investigation by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) had raised serious questions about the airline’s relationship with its American backer, private-equity firm 777 Partners Ltd. The CTA first suggested in March that Flair could be in violation of Canadian foreign ownership rules, and, as a result, faced the potential loss of its operating licence.

In the intervening weeks, Flair scrambled to overhaul its shareholder agreement, stripping 777 of unique veto rights and pledging to boost the number of Canadian directors on its board. The Edmonton-based airline also amended a loan agreement with 777 in a bid to decrease the American investor’s ability to exert control over Flair.

“Though we never doubted it, it’s still amazing for us to stand here today and say that Flair is Canadian,” chief executive Stephen Jones told reporters at a press conference staged at an Edmonton airport hangar. “The question has been answered. It’s done.”

As a result, the upstart carrier is set to continue its aggressive expansion in Canada’s duopolistic market, using the ultra-low-cost carrier model perfected by the likes of Ryanair Holdings PLC and Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. in Europe and Spirit Airlines Inc. in the United States. The company is emerging from the pandemic with 14 aircraft, plans to add five more to its fleet by July, and have 30 by mid-2023.

But to understand how close Flair came to being grounded by the CTA, it’s worth looking at the risky partnership it struck with its American backers when Canadian capital to support the scrappy airline failed to materialize. The partnership rescued the company from the brink of financial ruin, but put it squarely in the crosshairs of the Canadian regulator.

There used to be a wall at WestJet Airlines Ltd.’s corporate headquarters in Calgary that displayed the names of airlines that had failed or gone bankrupt in Canada over the years, a stark reminder that the airline business is tough for an upstart carrier, as WestJet once was, and a reminder to its employees never to take success for granted.

“It’s just a market where it’s hard to make money,” said Karl Moore, an associate professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University in Montreal. “Particularly against strong competitors like Air Canada or WestJet that can, to some degree, sit on you a bit by running multiple routes and doing things like that.”

Industry experts point to the significant stumbling blocks for new carriers such as Canada’s vast geography and a regulatory environment that has protected Canadian control of the domestic sector while blocking the kind of competition that could drive down fares.

Into this duopolistic environment emerged Flair Airlines in 2017 with big ambitions to take on the major carriers.

The company launched in 2005 in Kelowna, B.C., as an operator of charter and cargo flights, but armed with a modest investment from its original Canadian backers, the carrier made a huge bet it could expand and capture market share with cheap fares and no-frills service to airports in secondary markets. Flair Airlines launched in 2017 with big ambitions to take on the major carriers. PHOTO BY LARRY WONG/POSTMEDIA

But by 2018, Flair was in dire financial straits and at risk of joining the scrapheap of defunct Canadian commercial airlines if a financial lifeline couldn’t be secured. Flair reached out to 777, and the Miami-based firm came on as an investor, eventually taking a 25-per-cent stake in the airline — the maximum allowed for any single non-Canadian entity.

Emails viewed by the Financial Post show just how dire the situation was in the spring and summer of 2018 as the Miami-based investment fund was coming to grips with the full extent of the airline’s problems.

The airline was losing money every month and underperforming on key metrics.

Senior members of 777’s investment team wrote to former Flair chief executive Jim Scott and former chief financial officer Jim Young in July 2018, questioning how the company was managing while sustaining monthly financial losses of between $2 million and $4.8 million: “How has Flair been funding this loss since last time 777 wired funds to Flair on June 1st?” one 777 executive asked in an email.

The emails suggest 777 helped keep Flair solvent during that period and provided performance targets and strategy. At least one 777 employee also appeared to negotiate on behalf of the airline with airports and other companies.

“We must not forget that we owe a huge debt for the support of 777 in taking on Flair and being our backer. Everyone in 777 is invested in making Flair a success,” Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, a former 777 principal who also served as chief commercial officer of Flair at the same time, said in a subsequent August 2018 email to staff.

“That is not about control — it is about a great amount of resources that they have available and we can use … Remember, they are as much of our team as anyone.”

One former senior employee at Flair, who did not want to be identified, said the airline frequently struggled to pay its bills and depended on cash from 777 to stay afloat.

“They made Flair beg for every penny that they got, but almost every month they had to shell out money to Flair,” the employee said. “Every single month just to make ends meet.”

Flair declined to comment on 777’s prior involvement in the company, suggesting only that the matter is now closed.

“Flair Airlines is firmly focused on a future where we will bring low fares to Canadians coast to coast,” Jones said in a statement. “I encourage those who are new to Flair to visit our website to see for themselves.”

Flair has also declined to publicly disclose just how much money the airline currently owes to 777, though previous reports suggest it sat at $129 million in late 2020, according to the Globe and Mail. In April, it reported it had succeeded in refinancing around $80 million of its debt from 777.

In its recent decision, the CTA said that Flair is now cash self-sufficient, but continues to be financially dependent on 777 for a number of aircraft leases and for about 70 per cent of its debt financing at a high rate of interest.

The American private-equity firm has a large portfolio of investments, including aviation software and startup airline Bonza Aviation Pty Ltd. in Australia, but 777 is not chiefly known for its work with airlines.

Instead, 777 has become known for a high-profile string of investments in professional sports teams, including storied soccer teams such as Sevilla Fútbol Club in Spain and Genoa Cricket and Football Club in Italy. It also recently took a controlling stake in Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, a second-tier team in Brazil.

But 777 has its origins in a business called SuttonPark Capital LLC, a wholesale purchaser of structured settlements and issuer of asset-backed securities. Similar to companies such as J.G. Wentworth Co., SuttonPark and its subsidiaries offer lump sum cash to people to buy future payments from annuities, legal settlements — typically the result of a personal injury or medical malpractice — or lottery payouts.

SuttonPark was also named in a 2020 U.S. lawsuit alleging the company used unlawful and predatory practices to get a vulnerable young woman to sell her annuity from an insurance settlement. The lawsuit, which is still in progress, alleges the company had violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act in the United States by using kidnapping and drugs to get the brain-damaged woman to sell a $1-million annuity for $274,000. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

SuttonPark is still owned by 777, which did not respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit. But it did respond with a statement about its involvement with Flair.

“777 Partners has been an investor of Flair Airlines for years, contributing to its transformation and growth as Canada’s leading ultra-low-cost carrier,” the company said in an email.

“777 Partners continues to believe that the presence of a dynamic and competitive ultra-low-cost carrier is absolutely essential to the Canadian aviation sector. Flair’s mission of providing affordable air travel that connects travellers to the people and experiences they love continues to bring much needed change to the Canadian aviation market.”

Flair distances itself

To hold onto its Canadian licence, and to address the CTA’s concerns about who is controlling the company, Flair has distanced itself from its U.S. backers.

The airline reconstituted its board of directors to ensure Canadians would be in control going forward and stripped 777 of some of its unique shareholder rights, including the right to veto the sale, purchase or lease of aircraft. The Canadian regulator had previously suggested that Flair’s dependence on 777 for the provision of aircraft was a strong indicator of “control in fact.”

Flair is still in the process of seating seven new Canadian directors, and will have a total of nine directors including two from 777. Earlier this year, the airline’s board had three directors from 777, including the Miami investment firm’s founders, Steve Pasko and Josh Wander, and 777 principal Juan Arciniegas, alongside just two Canadian directors: former Flair chief operations officer Bill Hardy and Toronto lawyer Muneeza Sheikh. Under Canadian law, at least 51 per cent of a company’s voting interests must be owned and controlled by Canadians.

Jones told reporters earlier this month that Flair and 777 had made “significant concessions” to dispel doubts about the airline’s Canadian ownership. The company is also forecasting a sunnier financial outlook, according to the CTA decision, with plans to expand its fleet and offer new flights from Lethbridge, Alta., Hamilton and London, Ont., to destinations including Puerto Vallarta and Tucson, Ariz., later this year.

There are clear signs that the travel industry is picking up again after more than two years of COVID-19 disruptions. There has been an upswing in demand for air travel and new entrants in the sector such as Calgary-based Lynx Air, which launched this spring. But airlines say they’re also contending with high fuel prices and fears that a recession on the horizon could curb appetite for travel.

“I’m surprised they survived this long. I think the only thing that enabled them to survive this long is in the past few years, given the liquidity in financial markets worldwide, they were able to tap into some investors that were willing to put money into their company,” he said.

“Can any of these startups find something exclusive? Find some markets where they’re going to face limited competition? Highly unlikely, but that’s what they have to search for.”

Still, there may be a path for an ultra-low-cost carrier, according to Moore at Desautels, if it can fill a niche in the Canadian marketplace with routes linking underserved second-tier airports in places such as Abbotsford, B.C., and Hamilton, Ont.

“I think there’s room for an ultra-low-cost carrier, there’s demand there,” he said. “There’s something that’s missing in the marketplace. I think Canadians will respond well.”

The former Flair employee who spoke to the Financial Post on the condition of anonymity said most employees believe strongly in the airline’s original mission despite the volatility that has characterized the company’s dealings.

“At its core, we believed that there was a market for and also a benefit to introducing those low fares,” the employee said. “It was tough to compete against WestJet and Air Canada, but we did it and we soldiered on. Was it pretty the way we did it though? No, not at all.”