Air Canada slashing routes out of Calgary in face of ongoing pilot shortage

[cykj]

"The industry-wide shortage of regional pilots is expected to have a prolonged impact on Air Canada’s regional network," Fitzpatrick said in an email.

https://www.thestar.com/business/air-ca ... e2d24.html

[rudder]

"The industry-wide shortage of regional pilots is expected to have a prolonged impact on Air Canada’s regional network," Fitzpatrick said in an email.

https://www.thestar.com/business/air-ca ... e2d24.html

Because we are not willing to compete for pilot labour ……

[truedude]

"The industry-wide shortage of regional pilots is expected to have a prolonged impact on Air Canada’s regional network," Fitzpatrick said in an email.

https://www.thestar.com/business/air-ca ... e2d24.html

Because we are not willing to compete for pilot labour ……

That's just it. They don't want to pay.

[Tbayer2021]

I'm honestly starting to get concerned that this will be used to review or explore the opening of cottage rules.

[truedude]

I'm honestly starting to get concerned that this will be used to review or explore the opening of cottage rules.

That is the last thing the airlines want. And all the unions would argue it needs to come with the ability to work for US airlines. Won't happen.

[Tbayer2021]

I'm honestly starting to get concerned that this will be used to review or explore the opening of cottage rules.

That is the last thing the airlines want. And all the unions would argue it needs to come with the ability to work for US airlines. Won't happen.

I certainly hope it doesn't happen. I just wouldn't put it past JT. He could spin it into something along the lines of decreasing national carbon output. After all, it's wouldn't Canadian airlines burning fuel. Along with restoring "essential services".

[cykj]

I also wonder what's up as they've been saying the quiet part out loud lately.

[Tbayer2021]

Cabotage rules*

[dontcallmeshirley]

Cabotage rules*

Right... I thought we were already in the cottage rules phase.

Please no cottaging on the airplane.

[TheStig]

I'm honestly starting to get concerned that this will be used to review or explore the opening of cottage rules.

That is the last thing the airlines want. And all the unions would argue it needs to come with the ability to work for US airlines. Won't happen.

I certainly hope it doesn't happen. I just wouldn't put it past JT. He could spin it into something along the lines of decreasing national carbon output. After all, it's wouldn't Canadian airlines burning fuel. Along with restoring "essential services".

Cobotage wouldn't solve this issue, only exacerbate it. A foreign carrier entering the Canadian market would enter and compete on routes that Flair and Porter have already entered. There are only so many combinations of YUL, YYZ, YYC, YVR, YEG, YOW and YHZ that a certain number of airlines can operate year round (profitably).

The effect of industry expansion at play here is the competition for skilled labour. Pilots have voted with their feet, amazing to think that not even 10 years ago AC had an A+ regional partner with tremendous OTP and flight completion and they killed it themselves. AC seems to think the new pay rates will fix the issue. Anyone who is able to place themselves in the shoes of a 1000 hour pilot can see that it won't.

The industry and government need to make the piloting profession appealing once again. If a service is essential, governments at any level are welcome to subsidize it as we see with city transit, ferries, VIA rail, etc, or stop smothering the industry as a whole.

[Curiousflyer]

AC is setting up the messaging for bringing in a massive amount of foreign pilots. Just wait for the mBA terms such as “operational sustainability” to hit the government and then the pressure will mount that the Canadian public will absolutely support.

[digits_]

AC is setting up the messaging for bringing in a massive amount of foreign pilots. Just wait for the mBA terms such as “operational sustainability” to hit the government and then the pressure will mount that the Canadian public will absolutely support.

Which experienced foreign pilots would want to work in Canada for 100k/year?

[Old fella]

Doing a trip to upstate NY next month to visit family we haven’t seen in a good many years. Had to go through YQM-YUL-EWR-SYC and kinda hoping the YUL-EWR leg isn’t subject to restrictions due crews and the like. EWR -SYC portion is through Delta so that’s another issue.

[sstaurus]

AC is setting up the messaging for bringing in a massive amount of foreign pilots. Just wait for the mBA terms such as “operational sustainability” to hit the government and then the pressure will mount that the Canadian public will absolutely support.

Which experienced foreign pilots would want to work in Canada for 100k/year?

100k/yr? That must be a typo. Nothing near that to be found at AC…

[RippleRock]

AC is setting up the messaging for bringing in a massive amount of foreign pilots. Just wait for the mBA terms such as “operational sustainability” to hit the government and then the pressure will mount that the Canadian public will absolutely support.

......and the insurance companies will have absolute FITS and refuse to insure hulls........I call BS on that for this reason alone.

Plus.......wholesale replacement of entire employee groups with foreigners will be tolerated by other employee groups? Cuz they know they're NEXT. They will refuse to work with them. Plus, ALPA, who now covers 95% of pilots in this country, is just going to roll over and watch it happen...........RIGHT.

Sorry, foreigners flooding in makes ZERO sense.

[RoAF-Mig21]

AC is setting up the messaging for bringing in a massive amount of foreign pilots. Just wait for the mBA terms such as “operational sustainability” to hit the government and then the pressure will mount that the Canadian public will absolutely support.

Which experienced foreign pilots would want to work in Canada for 100k/year?

My friend is from Eastern Europe and flies the Max 737 on behal of Transat (contract). He does not like it here and he can't comprehend how we can live in this country (weather wise). He also thinks it's extremely boring and expensive.

From all my friends and aquaintences, who are airline pilots in Europe (and I have a few), not one would move to Canada. Mostly for the two reasons above: Cost of Living/ relative low pay and weather. I don't think Canada is in danger of being overan by European pilots.

[JHR]

Who said European pilots. More like Indian. Seen Cargojets roster lately?

[Fanblade]

Canada already offers express entry to foreign pilots who want to immigrate to Canada. It’s already a thing to try and attract foreign pilots and has been in place for a few years now.

The problem is why would an experienced pilot come here? Some of the lowest pay in the world combined with some of the most expensive cost of living and housing.

[Cavalier44]

Who said European pilots. More like Indian. Seen Cargojets roster lately?

Not exactly a new phenomenon.

[canadian_aviator_4]

Who said European pilots. More like Indian. Seen Cargojets roster lately?

Not exactly a new phenomenon.

Happening in most industries in Canada.

[CaptDukeNukem]

Who said European pilots. More like Indian. Seen Cargojets roster lately?

Not exactly a new phenomenon.

Happening in most industries in Canada.

Will continue to happen in all industries

[capt_Z]

As I mentioned earlier. YYC and YVR will be reduced considerably and AC will fly 220's and 737's on those routes.

[canadian_aviator_4]

Capt_z the master troll is back.
Glad to see some entertainment, and even better, people getting upset from the captain’s comments.

[capt_Z]

Capt_z the master troll is back.
Glad to see some entertainment, and even better, people getting upset from the captain’s comments.

I try

[rudder]

Kevin Chiang

Hi, thanks for taking my question. Just maybe turning back to the fleet expansion plans you have, obviously exciting investments. I guess when you look at the additional wide bodies, does that require additional regional aircraft or smaller narrow body aircraft investments to improve regional lift or increase regional lift to, I guess, match the expanded wide body capacity you have, or does the regional lift you have today, do you view that as sufficient?

Mark Galardo

Hi Kevin, it’s Mark. Let me take a stab at that.
We don’t see any need for additional regional aircraft at this point in time. We’ve got quite a sizeable order book of A220s to come. A lot of those will be deployed into the U.S., where we could leverage additional Sixth Freedom opportunities, so at this point in time more regional feed is certainly not in the cards, and with the fleet that we’ve got coming, I think we’re pretty sufficient.

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