Excel Airways's application to the CTA

[Gumbi]

Excel Airways, a UK air carrier, has filed an application with the Canadian Transportation Agency to operate flights from Toronto to southern destinations this winter on behalf of Sunwing Vacations, for which Skyservice already operates flights. The request is to operate a B‑737 with British crews.

All interested parties had until November 25 to forward their comments to the CTA. ALPA has objected and asked that the application be denied based on the following arguments; difficult state of the industry, the existing capacity and the high number of Canadian pilots on layoff.

Apparently, Air Canada, WestJet and Kelowna Flightcraft and Air Transat have also filed an opposition but SkyService has abstained.

Excel Airways has until December 2 to reply to the comments. First flight is scheduled for December 18.

I'll try to find the application, but I'm sure somebody else will beat me to it...

[Guest rattler]

Applications are not published by the CTA to the public at large, at least on their website. I note that Excel has received the necessary permissions to run charter flights between Canada and the UK so I guess they might be planning to use the same crews and aircraft for the southern flights.

Decision No. 613-A-2004

November 9, 2004

APPLICATION by Excel Airways Limited pursuant to subsection 73(2) of the Canada Transportation Act, S.C., 1996, c. 10, for a licence to operate a non-scheduled international service to transport traffic on a charter basis between points in the United Kingdom and points in Canada.

&

Order No. 2004-A-473

November 15, 2004

IN THE MATTER OF an application by Excel Airways Limited for exemptions from the application of certain provisions of the Air Transportation Regulations, SOR/88-58, as amended, where those provisions conflict with the Government of Canada's Policy for International Passenger Charter Air Services announced by the Minister of Transport on April 4, 2000.

File No. M4212/E201-2

[Gumbi]

I note that Excel has received the necessary permissions to run charter flights between Canada and the UK so I guess they might be planning to use the same crews and aircraft for the southern flights.

So maybe we should apply to the UK authorities to fly from the Uk to southern Europe? And that would make it even...

[Guest rattler]

The bilateral agreement between the UK and Canada has some interesting reading regarding Route 2.

Bilateral UK & Canada

[MAYDAY]

This has been going on for years. During the summer European vacation travel is at its peak. During the winter, North American vacation travel is peaked. By trading a few aircraft and crews, companys such as Skyservice and Canada 3000 (in the good ol' days) were able to normalize their capacity during the slower seasons. Although it may seem annoying to see Brits flying routes out of Canada during the winter, if it were not for these type of agreements a lot more people would lose their jobs seasonally (ie. Transat). I personally am all for it.

[Trader]

In this case, according to rumour, Sunwings would like to use British crews to fly 'additional' 737's through Kelowna Flightcraft. A friend mentioned that KFC's union had rejected teh idea saying taht if aircraft are operated through their O.C. then their pilots hsould fly them. I can't say I blame them either since it would be a short lived agreement--until SUnwings OC is finalized.

[Kip Powick]

Flew on SUNWING once, out of YYZ. It was a Mexican aircraft and a Mexican crew. The Mexican company was the same one that had one of their charter aircraft run out of gas looking for an airport in Mexico, and landed on a roadway.(safely)

[J.O.]

Yes, as Kip says, it's SUNWING (no "S"). Sunwing is in the process of getting an AOC, and the application is meant to give them some temporary lift until the approval comes through.