Canadian air travellers are experiencing an uptick in flight cancellations this holiday season, but airlines say weather is a bigger factor than COVID-19.
According to airline data company Cirium, Canada’s largest airlines cancelled hundreds of flights between Dec. 22 and Dec. 26 of this year. Flair Airlines cancelled nine per cent of its scheduled flights during the period while WestJet Airlines Ltd. cancelled seven per cent of its flights. Air Canada cancelled four per cent of its scheduled flights during the period.
The proportion of cancelled flights was significantly higher than earlier in December, when the cancellation rate for major carriers hovered around one to two per cent, and also higher than the same period during 2019’s pre-pandemic holiday season.
Omicron linked to U.S. cancellations
South of the border, U.S. airlines have reported cancelling significant numbers of flights in the past week because of staff shortages tied to the Omicron variant. Both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said the nationwide spike in cases this week has impacted flight crews and left carriers short-staffed.
According to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations, airlines have cancelled more than 4,000 flights to, from or inside the U.S. since Friday, with over 1,000 U.S. cancellations on Monday.
WATCH | Thousands of flights cancelled as Omicron takes off:
More than 8,000 flights cancelled over Christmas weekend as cases surge
10 hours ago
Duration 3:10
As COVID-19 cases rise, people looking to travel during Christmas are hit by thousands of flight cancellations and delays globally. 3:10
But in Canada, airlines say weather has caused more holiday travel disruptions than COVID-19 so far this season.
“The last few days were some of our busiest since pre-pandemic, carrying nearly 50,000 guests a day on more than 500 flights at peak,” said WestJet spokesperson Morgan Bell in an email.
“We are not seeing similar issues to our U.S. counterparts and the large majority of our posted cancellations are weather related.”
Frigid temperatures and arctic air have left most of the western provinces shivering this week with wind chills dipping down as low as -55 C.
Environment Canada says all of Alberta and most of British Columbia and Saskatchewan, along with parts of Manitoba and Ontario, are under extreme cold weather warnings.
Winter weather impact
Air Canada, which cancelled 171 flights from Dec. 22 to Dec. 26, said adverse winter weather was the major factor.
“We have the crews to operate our schedule so we have not been impacted as some other carriers have been by COVID-19,” a statement from the airline said.
Porter Airlines spokesperson Brad Cicero said flights have operated “generally well” over the last week. He said the limited cancellations that have occurred for the Toronto-based airline are due largely to weather and aircraft maintenance, though a small number have been related to “staffing.”
Travellers use their baggage for seats near the Southwest Airlines baggage carousels in Denver International Airport on Boxing Day this year. Airlines have cancelled more than 4,000 flights to, from or inside the U.S. since Friday, according to Flight Aware. (David Zalubowski/The Associated Press)
Flair Airlines acknowledged it has seen an uptick in sick calls from staff and crews, but said that is typical for this time of year.
“Currently, the biggest challenge for us, and likely most airlines, is that the ups and downs of the pandemic have caused staffing issues on the ground and at the airport due to long lines and increased passengers,” said Matthew Kunz, Flair’s vice-president of business transformation and operations.
Air Transat spokesperson Pierre Tessier said the company has not cancelled any flights in the last few days due to staffing issues related to the rising Omicron variant and “does not expect any cancellations at this time.”
Several Canadian airlines reported they’ve seen travellers cancel holiday plans because of rising case numbers, though they said they also continue to see demand for new bookings.
The federal government requires both Canadian airline employees, as well as passengers departing from Canadian airports, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.
The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.
The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.
Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.
Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.
Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.
The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.
As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.
TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.
TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
