Canada's Jazz Air ends Dash 8-300 operations

Canada's Voyageur Airways wins cargo contract with Purolator

Voyageur Airways (VAL, North Bay) has won a three-year cargo contract with Canadian logistics integrator Purolator Courier, covering two DHC-8-100(PF) converted turboprops, the carrier's parent Chorus Aviation said in a statement.

"We have been active in air cargo through the conversion of several Dash 8 aircraft to package freighters, however this contract with Purolator marks a meaningful step in the expansion of our capabilities in the cargo market," Chorus President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Randell said.

The contract began on April 12, 2021, and will continue under the current deal through April 2024. The long-term agreement follows a six-month trial phase, during which Voyageur Airways deployed two DHC-8-100(SPF)s (a more rudimentary makeshift conversion of the Dash 8-100) on behalf of the logistics integrator.

The airline said that by deploying two fully-converted De Havilland Aircraft of Canada turboprops, instead of the makeshift variants, it will increase the volume capacity by 38% compared to the trial phase.

Voyageur Airways currently owns twenty Dash 8-100s in passenger, makeshift-converted, and fully-converted...

Canada's Jazz Air adds first E175

Jazz Air (QK, Halifax) has added the first seven of twenty-five E175s transferred from Sky Regional Airlines (KV, Montréal Trudeau) ahead of the type's deployment under a recently revised Capacity Purchase Agreement with Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau).

All seven aircraft were registered to Jazz Air between April 28 and 30, 2021. Of these, C-FEKD (msn 17000101) and C-FEKS (msn 17000110) have already been reactivated to provide flights between Toronto Pearson, Windsor, and London, ON, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. C-FEKI (msn 17000103) operated a first test flight around Toronto on May 2. The remaining four aircraft remain parked in Toronto.

According to the Canadian aircraft register, a further seventeen aircraft remain registered to Sky Regional Airlines. The twenty-fifth unit, C-FEJP (msn 17000096), was deregistered from Sky Regional Airlines on April 30 but has yet to be inducted into the register as a Jazz Air aircraft.

Air Canada signed the revised CPA with Jazz Air in early March 2021. Following the transfer of all twenty-five E175s owned...

Italy's Sky Alps secures first Q400s on lease

Sky Alps (BN, Bolzano) has announced it will lease its first two DHC-8-Q400s from Chorus Aviation Capital with deliveries expected in April and May 2021.

"Sky Alps is very pleased to have selected Chorus Aviation Capital as our aircraft supplier for the initial launch of services from our South Tyrol base in Bolzano with two Dash 8-Q400s on long-term operating leases," founder and president of the start-up, Josef Gostner, said.

The lessor revealed the aircraft will be G-ECOK (msn 4230) and G-ECOO (msn 4237), 12.6- and 12.4-year-old turboprops. Both were previously operated by flybe. (2002) (BE, Exeter) and were returned following the British carrier's collapse in early March 2020. They are currently stored at North Bay and Halifax, respectively.

"The successful remarketing of these aircraft, which were repossessed by CAC in 2020 and underwent extensive reconfiguration and return-to-service work performed by Voyageur Airways and Jazz Technical Services, is a testament to Chorus' broad ability to find opportunities and execute on comprehensive solutions to remarket our aircraft...

Sky Regional to close as Air Canada moves E175s to Jazz Air

Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) has signed a revised Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with Chorus Aviation and will move all twenty-five E175s currently operated by Sky Regional Airlines (KV, Montréal Trudeau) to Chorus subsidiary Jazz Air (QK, Halifax). Sky Regional has since confirmed that as a result, it will cease all operations at the end fo the month.

"Air Canada is consolidating its regional flying with Jazz in response to the ongoing devastating impact of COVID-19 upon the airline industry. This necessary realignment of our regional services will help Air Canada achieve efficiencies and reduce operating costs and cash burn by consolidating its regional operations with one provider," Senior Vice President (Operations and Express Carriers) Richard Steer said.

The flag carrier said that besides providing near-term certainty and operational simplicity, the new CPA would also significantly lower operational costs. It expects to save CAD430 million Canadian dollars (USD340 million) in regional capacity expenses over the next 15 years and will also avoid CAD193 million (USD152 million) in contractual capital...