Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigtime
In response to the bolded part, did Icelandair ever throw public hissy fits and cancel military base contracts over their perceived lack of rights into Canada (when their 3x weekly service was their own fault for not taking all 6x weekly frequencies offered initially)?
Other Gulf carriers have watched that, and are playing ball in a much better way (Qatar, Etihad, etc). Look to see them get results before the whiners.
I too have heard rumblings about Aeromexico coming back to YYC and YEG, for a brief period a few years ago (before the Visa spat) we had both Aeromexico and Mexicana coming here. When Mexicana went belly up one of their Airbus' was actually stuck here, parked over at the AC hangar for quite some time. It would be nice to have regular service to Mexico City, but right now I'd guess the majority of folks heading to Mexico are going to holiday spots, and WS, Sunwing, Transat, and AC have those routes very well covered.
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I don't want this to get political, nor do I want to get overly into the topic (I really don't care that much), but it gets really complicated. Emirates was granted 6 weekly, than government said it was for country not airline (which is actually how it should be), Etihad than took the other 3. Government was expected to grand more landing rights, the Airports, the airlines, and provinces all had this expectation. This is when rumours come in: and I have heard them from several people in different companies that when AC heard they were coming used there sway to block them in Ottawa, this part I know is true, AC went to Emirates and Etihad and asked for up to 50% of the profits on Canada-UAE routes. They both declined.
I have deal with many different airlines, consulting firms and airport Authorities and the general consensus is that Canadian government was in the wrong. This is slowly changing, Etihad and AC now have code shares, and the UAE is spending a large dollar amount on Canadian flight simulators and the thinking is by some time next year there will be more slots for Etihad and Emirates.
Qatar is separate, good relationship with Canada (governmentally speaking), have 3x weekly into Montreal, and 3x weekly into Toronto (Cargo only), and with there Airport expansion and new planes coming in it is expected they will ask to fly passengers into Toronto and 2014 and will get it. Turkish (I know there not gulf), will increase there presence in Canada too, but likely will be dailies from Toronto, and 3-4x week from Montreal.
Calgary wants one of the gulf carriers (as does Vancouver, Montreal and GTAA wants dailies). The three priorities cities however (as per my knowledge while working for the GTAA) is Beijing, Paris and Mexico city. I mentioned before about Mexico city, it would have to be Aeromexico as AC cannot receive more slots without buying from another Carrier (slot constrained), Beijing will happen with the 787, just depends where it lands with priority with AC, and I have heard things floated for Paris. The only likely one I could see is YVR-YYC-CDG; This is similar to Toronto-Geneva (which stops in Montreal first).