AirCanada News / Jazz News / Rouge News

[Airband]

Air Canada rejects passenger compensation claims for delays caused by tech issue

Fri Jun 09, 2023 - The Canadian Press

Quote

"Some really interesting logic puzzles at Air Canada as to when something is actually their fault."

Air Canada has rejected compensation claims from some travellers who were among the thousands affected by flight delays caused by computer problems in recent weeks — a response it now calls "erroneous," with cash offers en route.

In messages to some customers, the airline initially said the information technology fumble was out of its hands, relieving it of obligations to pay them compensation.

"In this instance, the compensation you are requesting does not apply because the disruption was caused by an event outside of our control. This flight is delayed due to an unforeseen technology issue, impacting one of our suppliers, which is impacting our operations," the airline said Thursday in an email to passenger Douglas Judson.

Judson said he arrived more than three hours late after his June 1 flight from Winnipeg to Toronto was delayed due to the IT defect.

"I find the dishonesty and disrespect of it the most galling," he said in a phone interview.

"Some really interesting logic puzzles at Air Canada as to when something is actually their fault."

While denying his compensation request, Air Canada offered him a 15 per cent fare discount on any upcoming flight as a "goodwill gesture."

When contacted by The Canadian Press on Friday, the Montreal-based company said the response stemmed from an error.

"Air Canada is offering compensation in line with APPR (Air Passenger Protection Regulations) compensation levels for flights which were affected by the IT outage. Some passengers had received erroneous responses from us, and we are in the process of re-contacting them with the correct responses," spokeswoman Angela Mah stated.

The country's largest carrier has struggled with intermittent computer problems over the past 15 days.

On May 25 it delayed more than half its flights due to a "technical issue" with the system that the airline uses to communicate with aircraft and monitor their performance. On June 1 it delayed or cancelled more than 500 flights — over three-quarters of its trips that day, according to tracking service FlightAware — due to "IT issues."

That same day, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra stressed the carrier's compensation responsibilities to its guests.

“Air Canada has obligations to passengers who are impacted because it is caused by things that the airline has control over," he told reporters June 1, hours after the IT issues resurfaced.

In April, Alghabra laid out measures to toughen penalties and tighten loopholes around traveller compensation as part of a proposed overhaul of Canada's passenger rights charter.

If passed as part of the budget bill, the reforms will put the onus on airlines to show a flight disruption is caused by safety concerns or reasons outside their control, with specific examples to be drawn up by the Canadian Transportation Agency as a list of exceptions around compensation.

"It will no longer be the passenger who will have to prove that he or she is entitled to compensation. It will now be the airline that will need to prove that it does not have to pay for it," Alghabra said on April 24.

Currently, a passenger is entitled to between $125 and $1,000 in compensation for a three-hour-plus delay or a cancellation made within 14 days of the scheduled departure — unless the disruption stems from events outside the airline's control, such as weather or a safety issue including mechanical problems. The amount varies depending on the size of the carrier and length of the delay.

[Airband]

Jazz Aviation pilot pathway program expands to include Airmedic

Mon Jun 12, 2023 - Canada NewsWire

HALIFAX, NS, June 12, 2023 /CNW/ - Chorus Aviation Inc. subsidiary, Jazz Aviation LP, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Jazz Aviation Pathways Program to include Airmedic, based in Saint-Hubert, Que. Airmedic is the 21st participating industry organization in the Jazz APP. 

"Welcoming Airmedic from Quebec is an important step in Jazz's continued commitment to creating opportunities for pilots," said Cal Purves, Vice President, Flight Operations, Jazz. "With a growing demand for pilots in Canada and around the world, expanding our pilot pathway program will help ensure that we are providing the next generation of pilots with the skills and experience needed to succeed in this exciting and challenging field."

There are two pillars of this agreement. First, Jazz will refer to Airmedic top-performing graduates who have progressed through the Jazz APP at our affiliated aviation colleges, universities, and flight schools. These graduates will have the opportunity to transition to first officer positions at Airmedic.

Second, the agreement will provide a direct career path opportunity for qualifying Airmedic pilots to transition to first officer positions at Jazz. The career pathway could then continue for those Airmedic pilots interested in future opportunities to fly for Air Canada through Jazz's pathway with the mainline carrier. 

"We are delighted to work in collaboration with Jazz to develop the next generation. This collaboration demonstrates our shared commitment, which allows our personnel to develop their careers over the long term while facilitating their integration and transition into the commercial transportation sector. Airmedic is the first francophone Quebec carrier to develop this type of relationship with Jazz. Our safety results, the reality of our operations, and the calibre of our training are recognized and have established standards that adequately prepare the francophone succession of tomorrow," said Nicolas Charette, Director, Aircraft Operations, Airmedic.

Since 2007, Jazz has been actively involved in shaping the curriculum and training of Canada's future professional pilots through active engagement with aviation colleges, flight schools, and universities. To-date, the Jazz APP has announced agreements with 21 participating industry organizations. 

About Jazz
Jazz Aviation LP is the largest regional carrier in Canada and the primary operator of Air Canada Express flights to 81 destinations across North America. Jazz is one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People and a Best Diversity Employer with an award-winning safety culture. These strengths, along with Jazz's proven track record of industry leadership and exceptional customer service, create and deliver value to stakeholders. flyjazz.ca

About Airmedic
Airmedic is the only company in Quebec operating its own fleet of planes and helicopters exclusively dedicated to emergency medical assistance and transfers between hospitals. The call center operates 24/7. Airmedic operates day and night owing to certification by Transport Canada that allows our pilots to use night vision goggles, and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) certification. Airmedic is also the first privately-owned emergency medical transport company in Canada to be certified by Accreditation Canada. This certification is an eloquent demonstration of Airmedic's commitment to providing high quality care in the safest environment.

About Chorus Aviation Inc.
Chorus is a leading, global aviation solutions provider and asset manager, focused on regional aviation. Our principal subsidiaries are: Falko Regional Aircraft, the leading pure play regional aircraft asset manager and lessor, managing investments on behalf of third-party fund investors; Jazz Aviation, the largest regional operator in Canada and provider of regional air services under the Air Canada Express brand; Voyageur Aviation, a leading provider of specialty charter, aircraft modifications, parts provisioning and in-service support services; and Cygnet Aviation Academy, an industry leading accredited training academy preparing pilots for direct entry into airlines. Together, Chorus' subsidiaries provide services that encompass every stage of a regional aircraft's lifecycle, including: aircraft acquisition and leasing; aircraft refurbishment, engineering, modification, repurposing and transition; contract flying; aircraft and component maintenance, disassembly, and parts provisioning; and pilot training.

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by Airband

[Airband]

Air Canada slashing routes out of Calgary in face of ongoing pilot shortage

Wed Aug 30, 2023 - Toronto Star
by Amanda Stephenson

CALGARY - Air Canada is slashing six major routes out of Calgary this winter, in part due to an industry-wide pilot shortage that the carrier says threatens its "overall operational stability."

The country's biggest airline confirmed Wednesday it will no longer offer non-stop flights from Calgary to Ottawa, Halifax, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Cancun, or Frankfurt as of the end of October due to ongoing fleet and crew constraints.

"The industry-wide shortage of regional pilots is expected to have a prolonged impact on Air Canada’s regional network," said Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick in an email.

"This has resulted in resource pressures as Air Canada has been required to operate certain routes with mainline aircraft that are normally served by its main regional partner."

Fitzpatrick added the Montreal-based airline is also facing pressure due to supply chain challenges that are making it more difficult for the airline to obtain parts and complete airplane maintenance on time.

"This has led to a review of the network schedule to ensure resources are deployed most efficiently and productively against these current, ongoing industry considerations," Fitzpatrick said.

A pilot shortage has been brewing across the continent for several years due to a variety of factors including an aging workforce and the rapid proliferation of new discount airlines that are putting pressure on the labour supply.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated airlines' already existing labour challenges, delaying and disrupting pilot training across the country while also driving experienced pilots to exit the industry in favour of more job stability elsewhere.

International consultancy firm Oliver Wyman has estimated that the North American aviation industry could be short 30,000 pilots by 2032 if nothing changes.

Air Canada said Wednesday it remains fully committed to Calgary — population of about 1.4 million — and the western Canadian market. The airline said it will continue to offer direct service to London-Heathrow from Calgary, as well as to destinations throughout Canada and the U.S.

But the move is the latest evidence that Canadian airlines are still struggling to find their footing in the wake of the pandemic. It's also the latest development in an ongoing turf war between Air Canada and its main competitor, Calgary-based WestJet.

Last year, WestJet announced a new strategy that would see it concentrate the bulk of its future growth in Western Canada. The airline removed a number of routes from the Ottawa-Toronto-Montreal triangle as a result.

Air Canada has been prioritizing its Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver markets, and has recently eliminated a number of regional routes in Western Canada as well as direct service to some larger western Canadian cities, such as Regina and Saskatoon.

As each airline retrenches to focus on the areas of the country where they have the most market strength, concerns have been raised about what that means for competition.

The Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce, for example, filed a complaint earlier this year to the federal Competition Bureau over Air Canada’s decision to stop flights from Saskatoon to Calgary — a move the Chamber suggested gives WestJet an "anti-competitive monopoly" in Saskatchewan's largest city.

Also this year, WestJet acquired Sunwing Airlines and folded it into its main operations, a move some critics have said will mean less service and higher fares to sun destinations from Western Canada.

Air Canada said Wednesday that since August, it has reduced its previously planned winter flying network-wide by 4.6 per cent and reduced the amount of its planned winter seat capacity by two per cent.

But the carrier said its planned winter flying for 2023-24 still represents a 12 per cent year-over-year increase.

[Turbofan]

If the pilot shortage at Jazz is the result of an unwillingness to pay market rates to pilots, then is it really a pilot shortage? Or is it actually a pay shortage?  
 

The real cause is an unwillingness to compete for pilot labour.  The end result, AC is pulling out of mainline markets to shore up uncrewed regional routes out of YYZ/YVR and YUL.

Although AC keeps stating otherwise, so far there has been no serious attempt to fix the problem.

 

[Airband]

Air Canada apologizes after customers told to sit in seats that appeared to be soiled with vomit on packed flight from Las Vegas

Air Canada says it’s launching an internal review after two customers were allegedly escorted off a flight for refusing to sit in the soiled seats.

Tue Sep 5, 2023 - Toronto Star
By Kevin Jiang - Staff Reporter

Air Canada has apologized after two travellers were told to sit in poorly cleaned seats that had been allegedly covered in vomit during a previous flight.

Susan Benson, who was on the Aug. 26 flight, told the Star she watched as two passengers were reportedly escorted off the flight by security, after refusing to sit in wet seats with “visible vomit residue.”

In a statement to the Star, a spokesperson for Air Canada said it’s launching an internal review into the incident. The company has since apologized to the customers because “they clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled.”

Air Canada passengers told to sit on vomit-covered seats, they say

Benson recounted smelling something “foul” as she watched two women and one man in the row in front of her struggle to get seated on the flight from Las Vegas to Montreal.

She’d just remarked about the smell to her daughter when “the lady in front of us turned around to me and said that there was vomit in her seat,” Benson, who lives in New Brunswick, told the Star. “She said it hadn't been cleaned up very well and (she) can't sit down.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t catch the woman’s name.

In a Facebook post three days after the event, Benson detailed how, although the crew had sprayed perfume in the area and scattered coffee grinds on the seat pouch, the smell still lingered. The two passengers complained to a flight attendant that their seats and seatbelts were wet, and that “visible vomit residue” was present in the area.

“The flight attendant was very apologetic but explained that the flight was full and there was nothing they could do,” Benson wrote in her post. “The passengers said they couldn’t possibly be expected to sit in vomit for five hours.”

The flight was scheduled to take four hours and 25 minutes.

After a back-and-forth between the passengers, the flight attendant and her supervisor, the travellers asked “if they could at least have blankets to sit on and wipes to clean more themselves,” Benson continued. “Reluctantly they were given blankets wipes and more vomit bags.”

Air Canada passengers reportedly escorted off flight by security

As the passengers were getting situated with their blankets and wipes, Benson said the pilot came down the aisle to speak with the two women. They were given two choices: either leave the plane and arrange new flights on their own dime, or “be escorted off the plane by security and placed on a no fly list.”

“When they asked why he said they were rude to the flight attendant. They were certainly not!” Benson wrote in her Facebook post. “They were upset and firm, but not rude!”

Benson told the Star a neighbouring passenger, who happened to be a Quebecois police officer, spoke to the pilot in French that “I'm a police officer from Montreal and we wouldn't treat people like this,” and that the women weren’t being rude.

“Next thing we know, security comes down the aisle and just said, ‘We need to talk to you both privately, bring all of your stuff.’ And then we never saw them again,” Benson said.

The incident caused a 30 minute delay, but the flight took off without issue, she continued: “We watched their bags being unloaded from the cargo below. And then the flight took off, and that was that.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Air Canada said: “We are reviewing this serious matter internally and have followed up with the customers directly as our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance.”

They later confirmed the passengers were not placed on a no-fly list: “There were no sanctions imposed,” the spokesperson said. “As mentioned we are working to address their concerns.”

Recent incidents of bodily fluids plaguing flights

This recent incident involving Air Canada follows a string of similar events, including a Delta flight in early September that was forced to make an emergency landing following a “biohazard issue” after a passenger had diarrhea on board.

In audio posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, the pilot could be heard saying the passenger had diarrhea “all the way through the airplane.” The plane was cleaned and flew to Barcelona the next day, according to the BBC.

A similar incident was reported in June when passengers flying on an Air France jet from Paris to Toronto realized the carpet beneath their feet was still wet with a previous passenger’s blood and diarrhea: “It smelled like manure,” a passenger on the flight told CNN.

Benson said she’s never encountered an issue like this on a flight until these recent reports and her latest experience.

“I felt terrible for (the two passengers asked to leave),” she said. “I have a lot of regret over what I could have done in the moment. But I guess this is what I can do now to try to rectify it.”

[dagger]

Any views on which aircraft the 18 787-10s will replace, since the purchase is being described as a fleet renewal move? Is this a one for one replacement of A330s?

[Seeker]

4 hours ago, dagger said:

Any views on which aircraft the 18 787-10s will replace, since the purchase is being described as a fleet renewal move? Is this a one for one replacement of A330s?

Hello dagger, good to see you post, we've missed you.

No consensus amongst pilots (and no clear message to them from management).  Speculation includes, replacing 330s, moving 330s to Rouge to replace lost 767 fins, replacing 777s.  Various comments attributed to management, but obviously unconfirmed, is that they don't want 350s because they don't want another type or that they do want 350s and just haven't got the order figured out.  So, nobody I've heard from or talked to knows.

[dagger]

 

[dagger]

Just now, dagger said:

 

War is hell and commenting on it from the perspective of one side, as in sporting the colours on social media and rooting that side on, one ought to be very careful these days. 

[Airband]

 Air Canada grounds pilot who allegedly wore pro-Palestinian colours

Tue Oct 10, 2023  - Toronto Sun
by Peter Warmington

It’s not every day you see an Air Canada pilot placed on the company’s no-fly list.

But it has happened to a Montreal-based B787 first officer for allegedly wearing pro-Palestinian colours while in uniform. There were also concerns about a shocking number of social posts — allegedly containing profane commentary about Israel — from the pilot.

Air Canada confirmed it has pulled a pilot from the skies after it came to light on social media that he was wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh while in uniform.

“The pilot was taken out of service as of yesterday,” Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick told The Toronto Sun Tuesday.

The social media accounts for Capt. Mostafa Ezzo have subsequently been pulled down. The Sun reached out to Ezzo, or one of his representatives, for comment through the Air Canada Pilot’s Association, but did not receive a reply.

However, followers of his accounts complained to Air Canada concerning several posted photographs including one promoting Sunday’s pro-Palestine rally in Montreal which had added a headline that said “F*** you Israel, burn in hell.” Another posting called Israel a “terrorist state” and commented “Hitler is proud of you.” 

Air Canada sources told the Sun that given the postings, there’s no way he would be on any of his next scheduled assignments. An investigation is underway.

The pilot remains on staff but is grounded at this time in what amounts to an Air Canada no-fly list — and not one that would prevent him from boarding as a passenger.

Air Canada took swift and decisive action.

“We did this because this individual’s opinions and publications on social media do not represent Air Canada’s views in any way,” said Fitzpatrick. “This person has never been authorized to speak publicly while identifying themselves as an Air Canada employee.”

Air Canada has temporarily suspended its flight routes at this time to Tel Aviv as a result of the Hamas terror attack.

It’s unclear if this pilot had ever been assigned that destination but the airplane he was cleared to operate is known to land there and many other destinations around the world.

Sources said Air Canada received complaints from passengers of Jewish faith, who indicated they would not feel comfortable boarding a jet with someone who may hold extreme and hateful views at the helm.

Air Canada moved quickly to take Ezzo out of the rotation while this is probed.

“We firmly denounce violence in all forms and take this matter very seriously,” said Fitzpatrick.

So do the passengers.

[Kip Powick]

Trust the Press.......even the photo of the individual is a mirror image 

[Falken]

Air Canada has confirmed he is grounded at this time etc., however, will he be allowed back in his seat again? I wouldn't want to be on any of his flights!

[Seeker]

1 hour ago, Falken said:

Air Canada has confirmed he is grounded at this time etc., however, will he be allowed back in his seat again?

I think that's unlikely.

[dagger]

He has been fired or less likely, quit first. Airline tweeting that he is no longer in its employ.

[st27]

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/air-canada-pilot-fired-after-anti-israel-social-media-posts-1.6597526

[st27]

And now I’m sure customers are thinking …. How many other AC pilots have “different” views that are still flying?

[dagger]

8 hours ago, st27 said:

And now I’m sure customers are thinking …. How many other AC pilots have “different” views that are still flying?

I'm sure pilots have lots of views, and judging from my posting history here, I'd disagree strongly with some of them, but anyone in a professional capacity who can keep their views to themselves and not embarrass their employer is unlikely to be a concern to the customers. I'd the ones who can't hold back and make a spectacle/controversy of themselves that would concern me because their lack of judgment and self-restraint would be a red flag for me.

By the By, I see AD is operating 7060 as a special to Athens tonight. Some folks airlifted by the RCAF out of TLV to ATH would have returned on the daily scheduled flight, but this number suggests a section. The second RCAF flight ex-TLV took off this evening local time for ATH.

Edited October 12, 2023 by dagger

[North of You]

When I think about how many good people I know that were turned down by AC during their hiring process….and then I see this pilot and his actions…. I guess maybe those thousand personality questions aren’t working so well after all.  

[Specs]

1 hour ago, North of You said:

I guess maybe those thousand personality questions aren’t working so well after all.  

 

[moeman]

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/air-canada-to-support-government-of-canada-in-bringing-canadians-home-from-israel-with-special-flights-843002024.html

 

[Seeker]

12 hours ago, North of You said:

I guess maybe those thousand personality questions aren’t working so well after all.  

Or maybe they do.  Can't really tell on the basis of one example out of 5000.

I would guess that the number of people who hold such opinions runs higher than 0.02% in the whole population.

[J.O.]

On 10/11/2023 at 9:40 AM, Kip Powick said:

Trust the Press.......even the photo of the individual is a mirror image 

More likely it's a selfie taken from an iPhone. When you flip the camera to shoot from the screen side, you get a reversed image.

[deicer]

AC flight LHR-YYZ diverts to YUL to remove unruly passenger.

https://www.cp24.com/news/video-shows-police-removing-disruptive-passenger-from-toronto-bound-overseas-flight-1.6613222

Video shows police removing 'disruptive' passenger from Toronto-bound overseas flight

Video has surfaced of the tense moment a passenger on a Toronto-bound international flight was removed by police after the plane was forced to change course due to his “disruptive” behaviour.

In video of the incident obtained by CTV News Toronto, a man on the packed flight from London’s Heathrow airport can be heard screaming as Montreal police officers board the plane during the unplanned stop and escort him off in handcuffs.

The passenger who shot the video, who asked not to be identified, said the man’s removal came after he was restrained to his seat by flight attendants where he “kicked and screamed” for over an hour.

“I believe he damaged a seat while he was restrained. A passenger that was near him had to be relocated while this occurred for his safety,” she said in an email, adding it’s unclear what led to the passenger’s seemingly erratic behavior.

In a statement issued to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for Air Canada, which was operating the flight, confirmed the plane diverted to Montreal Saturday evening “as a safety precaution due to a disruptive passenger.”

“Authorities met the aircraft and, after the individual was deplaned, it carried on to its final destination of Toronto,” the spokesperson said.

Air Canada said there were 381 customers on the Boeing 777 aircraft at the time.

It’s unclear what charges, if any, the removed passenger will face as a result of the incident.

CTV News Toronto has reached out to Montreal police for more information about the passenger’s removal but has not yet received a response.

[dagger]

In route oddities, I see AC7060 - a number being used for federal chartering out of the Middle East - flew Toronto-Baku yesterday, and now is flying Baku-Delhi. It's a 777-300ER, so unlikely to have needed a fuel stop, and weird that it overnighted in Baku, where AC doesn't fly. Canada doesn't have an embassy in Azerbaijan. The plane did skirt any sensitive air space, like Iran, but if for some reason it needed a fuel stop, I would have thought of other airports where AC or Canada has a presence.

[PinC]

A previous 777 diverted to Baku....the second 777 was to pick up the pax and take them to DEL.