Feb 14 2013

WestJet reveals Encore Routes

WestJet DHC-8WestJet announced on February 14th, 2013 the first routes to be operated by its regional carrier Encore including new services to Fort St. John and Nanaimo, British Columbia. The services will be operated by Q400 aircraft.

The airline will also operate service between Vancouver and Victoria. Routes will be Calgary and Fort St. John, Fort St. John and Vancouver, Vancouver and Victoria, all of which are expected to be in operation in June 2013.

Encore expects to take delivery of its first two Q400s at the beginning of June 2013 and add five more by the end of 2013. Encore has firm orders for a total of 20 Q400s and options for an additional 25 over the next six years.

Feb 06 2013

FAA revokes California Pacific Airlines’ approvals

California Pacific Airlines

California Pacific Airlines is in a dispute with the FAA as the regulator has revoked the airline’s approvals and forced it to restart the process from the beginning.

The airline has one Embraer 170 in its fleet which is currently parked at McClellan-Palomar Airport. The aircraft costs the airline approximately $200,000 in leasing fees per month whether or not the aircraft is being used.

In November 2012 the FAA sent notice to the airline that its application was being reset to the initial phase of application because of various issues that had not been resolved to the FAA’s satisfaction. The FAA cited major concerns with documents that California Pacific submitted outlining procedures involving maintenance, safety, flight crew training and personnel.

The airline and the FAA are still undertaking continued efforts to resolve the issues so that California Pacific can begin service.

Feb 02 2013

Air Canada begins Q400 operations in Western Canada

Air Canada Express LogoAir Canada Express started Q400 operations out of Western Canada provinces on February 1, 2013. The first flights used Calgary as a hub with Fort McMurray, Regina and Saskatoon as destinations. Nine additional routes will be added over the next quarter of operations.

The airline plans to increase capacity on some routes in the spring and summer schedules and operate Q400s on routes in British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories. The Q400s will be replacing CRJ100/200 aircraft which are being retired from the airline’s fleet.

Jan 31 2013

Yakutia Airlines orders three Q400s

Yakutia Airlines Q400Bombardier Aerospace announced on January 31, 2013 that Yakutia Airlines, a airline based in the northeast region of Russia, will operate three Q400 aircraft, the first delivered to the airline recently. The Q400 is the largest Western-built turboprop aircraft to be awarded type approval for operation in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Bombardier has booked firm orders for 463 Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft, and the Q400 is in service with more than 40 operators in over 30 countries, on five continents. Q400s have transported more than 243 million passengers and have logged more than 3.8 million flight hours.