Canada's Swoop to launch B737-8 flights in late 2Q22

Canada's Swoop takes first B737 MAX 8

Swoop (WO, Hamilton, ON) took delivery of its first B737-8, C-GORP (msn 63976), on June 15, 2022, on lease from SMBC Aviation Capital.

The aircraft was ferried under its new Canadian registration from Victorville to Toronto Pearson but has yet to be deployed into revenue service. Although the Canadian low-cost carrier, a subsidiary of WestJet (WS, Calgary), previously planned to debut B737 MAX operations earlier this month, it postponed that date to June 29, 2022. The ch-aviation schedules module shows that the first MAX flight is scheduled to depart from Edmonton Int'l to Toronto shortly after midnight.

Swoop, which has thus far operated ten B737-800s transferred from its parent, announced a deal for six B737-8s from SMBC Aviation Capital in February 2022. The remaining five aircraft are scheduled for delivery shortly and will enter into service later this summer.

WestJet fleet plans reflect new focus on Canada's West

WestJet (WS, Calgary) has announced fleet plans that reflect a new strategic focus on Western Canada, including a substantial order for more narrowbodies while pausing widebody growth and centring its regional fleet for network expansion in the West.

The new strategic plan for post-pandemic growth was revealed last week by Chief Executive Officer Alexis von Hoensbroech, who joined WestJet in February from Austrian Airlines.

He said WestJet would focus on:

• Growing its presence and network in Western Canada through more non-stop flights to communities;
• Investing further in leisure and sun flying across Canada, including through the acquisition of Sunwing Airlines (WG, Toronto Pearson), following regulatory approval;
• Investing in technology and digitalisation; and
• Redoubling efforts to remain low-cost and affordable.

To match its commercial strategies, the airline will focus its existing widebody B787-9 fleet on Western Canada and, for the time being, pause further investment into incremental B787s to focus instead on additional narrowbody growth. The airline currently has six B787-9s with four more on order, the ch-aviation...

Latvia’s SmartLynx eyes global openings, including in Canada

Air Canada reassesses strategy for subsidiary Rouge

Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) is re-assessing how to reposition Air Canada rouge (RV, Toronto Pearson) as a narrow-body leisure-focused – and perhaps even ultra-low-cost - carrier amid heightened competition in the Canadian domestic market, says Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer Lucie Guillemette.

"We're in a little bit of a transition period here. So, in the immediate term, you know the fact that Rouge is assigned to a narrow-body aircraft is very helpful for us. But we are now in the process of really, really relooking at the mission of Rouge and how we best want to proceed in the years to come," she said during Air Canada's Investor Day on March 30, 2022.

In an earlier presentation, she said Rouge figured strongly in Air Canada's strategy to succeed in the leisure market because leisure and VFR travel had become increasingly important in the domestic market during the pandemic.

"We took the opportunity to refocus Rouge for now exclusively as a narrow-body operator and focus on leisure from eastern Canada. This...