Canada Jetlines, Ltd., operating and branded as jetlines, was a Canadian airline headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. It operated scheduled and charter flights in the Americas and the Caribbean. The airline launched its inaugural flight on September 22, 2022, from Toronto Pearson to Calgary.
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Founded | 2013 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | September 22, 2022 | ||||||
Ceased operations | August 15, 2024 | ||||||
Operating bases | Toronto Pearson International Airport | ||||||
Fleet size | 4[2] | ||||||
Destinations | 5[3] | ||||||
Traded as | NEO: CJET | ||||||
Headquarters | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | ||||||
Key people | |||||||
Employees | 200 | ||||||
Website | www |
In August 2024, it ceased operations and said that it would seek creditor protection.
History
editIn June 2016, the airline announced that it had asked the Canadian government to relax its legal requirement for Canadian airlines to have no more than 25% foreign ownership, allowing Canada Jetlines to seek foreign investment up to the level of 49% ownership.[5] On November 3, 2016, Transport Minister Marc Garneau approved Jetlines' request for exemption from the current foreign ownership rules, which allowed the airline to access necessary capital in order to begin operations.[6] The airline has one minority owner from Europe and a board made up of aviation industry members from Europe and the United States.
On November 4, 2016, Canada Jetlines announced that it was planning to launch operations on strong primary and secondary routes by operating scheduled point-to-point jet air service. Jetlines planned to operate flights throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. On September 11, 2017, Canada Jetlines released a map of cities to which it intended to fly by April 2019.[7] On May 8, 2018, Canada Jetlines announced that it would not be leasing two Boeing 737-800 aircraft as initially planned due to the lessor being unable to confirm a delivery date. Jetlines concluded a term sheet on April 23, 2018, to lease two Airbus A320 aircraft instead, and made a deposit payment of US$876,000.[8][9] On June 13, 2018, Jetlines announced that it had partnered with AerCap, an aircraft leasing and aviation finance company, to sign a Definitive Lease Agreement for two Airbus A320 aircraft. Delivery of the two aircraft was expected by the first half of 2019.[10] On April 4, 2019, Jetlines announced that it intended to launch operations in December 2019 and had subsequently withdrawn from its leasing agreement with AerCap dated April 23, 2018. Jetlines intended to lease its initial aircraft with its partner, SmartLynx Airlines, with delivery of the aircraft occurring in Q4 2019.[11]
On February 28, 2017, Canada Jetlines completed a merger with Jet Metal Corp. Until then, Canada Jetlines was a private company that had raised money over three years with the goal of becoming an ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC). Jet Metal Corp. was a publicly listed company that was previously involved in mineral exploration, but had ceased active operations in 2017. Jet Metal Corp became publicly listed in 2014 as a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). As an initial public offering (IPO) process is quite lengthy and expensive, it is easier for private corporations to obtain a public listing through a corporate transaction with an inactive listed company or SPAC. A public listing was sought as it provided greater access to capital given the increased liquidity compared to a private corporation. The common shares of Canada Jetlines trades on the NEO Stock Exchange – with the ticker symbol "CJET".
On April 3, 2019, Jetlines announced its anticipated launch of commercial service to be December 17, 2019 with Toronto Pearson International Airport acting as Jetlines' home base. Because of the company's progress, Jetlines and AerCap mutually agreed to cancel their agreement for two A320 leases. In place of that agreement, Jetlines signed a letter of intent with SmartLynx Airlines for two alternate Airbus A320s available for delivery in Q4 2019, which was in line with the planned commencement of the company's operations.[12]
On February 28, 2022, Jetlines' first Airbus A320, C-GCJL, which formerly flew for Avianca and Pegasus Airlines,[13] touched down at Region of Waterloo International Airport. The aircraft was flown from Shannon Airport in Ireland after completing interior refurbishment and repainting.[14] In April 2022, the company announced plans to begin operations in the summer of 2022 with no firm announcement of which destinations would be served first.[15] Toronto Pearson International Airport was later announced as the primary travel hub for the airline.[16] Additional airport confirmations include Montréal's Saint-Hubert Airport,[17] Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Cancun,[18] Dominican Republic,[19] Winnipeg, Kelowna,[20] and Québec City.[21] On July 19, 2022, the airline announced that it would begin service from Toronto's Pearson Airport to both Moncton and Winnipeg starting on August 15, 2022,[22] however on August 4, 2022, the airline announced that the launch would be postponed by two weeks to August 29, 2022.[23] The airline postponed its launch again to September 22, 2022, by then adjusting its network to instead launch services to Calgary International Airport from Toronto Pearson instead of Moncton and Winnipeg.[24][25]
In October 2022, Canada Jetlines negotiated the acquisition of its second aircraft for delivery on November 30, 2022, expecting to expand to a fleet of 15 aircraft by the end of 2025.[26] In November 2022, the airline announced its first destinations in the United States, consisting of Las Vegas and Melbourne, which were planned to launch in February 2023,[27][28] but had later been postponed.[29] On December 19, 2022, the airline announced that it had received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin operations to the country.[30]
In January 2023, Canada Jetlines halted domestic flights to focus on its foreign travel routes and plane leasing. In June 2024, Eddy Doyle stepped down as CEO. On August 12, 2024, four directors on the board, including chair and CEO Brigitte Goersch, resigned. On August 15, the company paused all operations and said it would seek creditor protection.[31]
Destinations
editCanada Jetlines operated scheduled flights to the following destinations at the time operations ceased in August 2024.[3] Destinations operated to solely with charter flights are not listed.
Country | City | Airport | Start date | End date | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | Calgary | Calgary International Airport | September 22, 2022 | January 19, 2023 | Terminated | [32][33] |
Halifax | Halifax Stanfield International Airport | June 2, 2024 | Present | Seasonal | [34] | |
Toronto | Toronto Pearson International Airport | September 22, 2022 | Present | Base | [32] | |
Vancouver | Vancouver International Airport | December 9, 2022 | January 9, 2023 | Terminated | [35][36] | |
Guyana | Georgetown | Cheddi Jagan International Airport | October 8, 2023 | Present | [37] | |
Jamaica | Montego Bay | Sangster International Airport | December 9, 2023 | Present | [38] | |
Mexico | Cancún | Cancún International Airport | March 3, 2023 | Present | [39] | |
United States | Las Vegas | Harry Reid International Airport | February 16, 2023 | Present | [27] | |
Miami | Miami International Airport | June 29, 2024 | Present | [40] | ||
Orlando | Orlando International Airport | October 30, 2023 | Present | [41] |
Fleet
editAs of March 2024[update], the Canada Jetlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[2]
Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A320-200 | 4 | — | 174[42] | |
Total | 4 | — |
References
edit- ^ a b "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. May 4, 2023. p. 4. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
Canada Jetlines: CJL, JETBUS
- ^ a b "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for Canada Jetlines". Transport Canada. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "Canada Jetlines Network". Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Leadership Team". Canada Jetlines. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Korstrom, Glen (June 14, 2016). "Canada Jetlines seeks exemption so its foreign investors have more sway". biv.com. Business In Vancouver. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines and Jet Metal Corporation applaud Transport Minister Marc Garneau for approving exemption request that will allow for the launch of Canada's first Ultra Low Cost Carrier (ULCC)". November 3, 2016. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018.
- ^ "Planned Route Map". Canada Jetlines. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Provides Corporate Update". Jetlines. May 8, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines finalizes Definitive Lease Agreement for Airbus aircraft". aeronauticsonline.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Prepares for Takeoff with Definitive Lease Agreement for Two Airbus A320 Aircraft". Jetlines. June 13, 2018. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ "Jetlines Announces Anticipated Launch Timing". Jetlines. April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Jetlines anticipated launch timing". Jetlines. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Jetlines C-GCJL".
- ^ "New airline touches down at Waterloo Region's airport". Kitchener. February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines to Begin Operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport". Business Wire. April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines to begin operations at Toronto Pearson". Skies Mag. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ "Jetlines Announces Partnership with Montréal's Saint-Hubert Airport". Canada Jetlines. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Reaches Agreements with Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Cancun Airports". Canada Jetlines. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Reaches Agreement with Aerodom for Flights to Dominican Republic Airports". Canada Jetlines. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Reaches Agreements with Winnipeg and Kelowna Airports". Jetlines. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines and Québec City Airport Sign Agreement". Jetlines. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ Liu, Jim (July 19, 2022). "Canada Jetlines schedules mid-August 2022 launch". AeroRoutes. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ Wolfsteller, Pilar (August 4, 2022). "Canada Jetlines delays first revenue flights to 29 August". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ The Canadian Press (September 22, 2022). "Canada Jetlines, the latest airline to enter a crowded field, set to take off". CBC News. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Celebrates Inaugural Flight from Toronto Pearson Airport to Calgary". Financial Post. September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Hartland, Dave (October 22, 2022). "Canada Jetlines Secures Second Airbus A320, Adds New Route". Avgeekery.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ a b "Canada Jetlines Announces First International Route from Toronto to Las Vegas". Canada Jetlines (Press release). Business Wire. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Announces New Service from Toronto Pearson to Melbourne Orlando International Airport". Canada Jetlines (Press release). Business Wire. November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ Neale, Rick (February 10, 2023). "Canada Jetlines becomes second Ontario airline to postpone service at Melbourne airport". Florida Today. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Receives Final FAA Approval for U.S. Flight Operations". Canada Jetlines (Press release). Business Wire. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- ^ Reynolds, Christopher (August 15, 2024). "Canada Jetlines grounds flights, halts operations amid financial struggle". Global News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Hemmerdinger, Jon (August 26, 2022). "Canada Jetlines delays launch to 22 September". FlightGlobal. DVV Media Group. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ "CJL121 Flight Tracking and History 19-Jan-2023 (CYYC-CYYZ)". FlightAware. March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ "CANADA JETLINES ADDS HALIFAX REGULAR SERVICE FROM JUNE 2024". AeroRoutes. February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Announces New Route from Toronto Pearson to Vancouver International Airport". Canada Jetlines (Press release). Business Wire. October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ "AU137 (CJL137) Jetlines Flight Tracking and History 09-Jan-2023 (CYVR-CYYZ)". FlightAware. January 9, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Schedules Guyana Launch In Early-Oct 2023". AeroRoutes. October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines Adds Toronto – Montego Bay From Nov 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- ^ Liu, Jim (January 29, 2023). "Canada Jetlines Plans Cancun Feb 2023 Launch". AeroRoutes. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines to launch Toronto-Miami service from 29 June 2024". Centre for Aviation. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Jetlines Plans Toronto – Orlando Service in NW23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ "Canada Jetlines, the latest airline to enter a crowded field, set to take off". CBC News. September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.