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I got to transfer through the airport in Iceland back in 2019 on a flight to the UK, unfortunately didn't have time/the means to explore the country during that trip.It was a very affordable flight to London though.

Though on the return leg the flight from Keflavik to Edmonton didn't get its own gate, and we had to ride a bus across to god knows where and board up a staircase in the middle of the tarmac.
The bus full of Edmontonians definitely felt appropriate for the flight back home. 🤣
 
October numbers are out and to my pleasant surprise, a little better than I expected.

Monthly passenger stats October 2023​

Terminal​

  • Terminal Traffic: 583,330 passengers (YTD 5,896,461 passengers) 14.6% (YTD 35.0%)
  • Domestic 495,832 passengers (YTD 4,930,690 passengers) 10.0% (YTD 27.1%)
  • Transborder 65,402 passengers (YTD 606,396 passengers) 50.9% (YTD 94.8%)
  • International 22,096 passengers (YTD 359,375 passengers) 50.1% (YTD 102.6%)

Fixed Base Operators (FBO)​

  • 50,628 passengers (YTD 489,046 passengers) 12% (YTD 25.5%)

Total passengers (Terminal and FBO)​

  • 633,958 passengers (YTD 6,385,507 passengers) Month overall 14.4% (YTD 34.3%)
 
IanO said:
Iceland is most certainly worth the trip. I had the opportunity to go back in 2016 and had a blast touring in a camper van.
Click to expand...
Well if the planes will already be full with travellers from elsewhere, I won't bother with this one , I think I'll look at other destinations
 
BASE said:
October numbers are out and to my pleasant surprise, a little better than I expected.

Monthly passenger stats October 2023​

Terminal​

  • Terminal Traffic: 583,330 passengers (YTD 5,896,461 passengers) 14.6% (YTD 35.0%)
  • Domestic 495,832 passengers (YTD 4,930,690 passengers) 10.0% (YTD 27.1%)
  • Transborder 65,402 passengers (YTD 606,396 passengers) 50.9% (YTD 94.8%)
  • International 22,096 passengers (YTD 359,375 passengers) 50.1% (YTD 102.6%)

Fixed Base Operators (FBO)​

  • 50,628 passengers (YTD 489,046 passengers) 12% (YTD 25.5%)

Total passengers (Terminal and FBO)​

  • 633,958 passengers (YTD 6,385,507 passengers) Month overall 14.4% (YTD 34.3%)
Click to expand...
If the historical trend for the 4th quarter remains, we'll probably have between 7.6 and 7.7 million passengers for the year, back (close) to 2017 levels.
With some of the new additions we've had announced, I wouldn't be surprised if we got back to 2018 levels by the end of 2024.
 
BASE said:
Indeed, opportunity to funnel folks from parts of Canada and even US through YYC hub to Iceland most likely.
Click to expand...
737’s over to Iceland eh? I’d prefer to have something with a little more horsepower….say a 757…….
 
TAS said:
Would have been nice if WS had offered this flight from YEG instead since we're closer. I wonder what the likelihood they will offer an European flight out of YEG? WS is partnering with Icelandair for connections beyond Iceland on this new route.

www.google.com

WestJet announces flights from Calgary to Iceland in 2024, enhanced service to Japan

WestJet announced Wednesday it will soon offer direct flights from Calgary to Iceland.
www.google.com www.google.com
Click to expand...

What WS needs to do is bring back the service from YEG and YWG to Gatwick. Never mind Iceland, never mind messing around with competing against AC on transatlantic out of Pearson (YYZ-DUB makes zero sense). Exploit the niches that AC has left open.
 
CaptainBL said:
They are already doing exactly that...through YYC
Click to expand...
My point was that trying to compete with AC at its most important hub--not to mention all the European carriers at YYZ--was always a fool's errand. There are significant opportunities elsewhere. The revival of 737 transatlantic flights from Atlantic Canada is smart. There is also a good opportunity to serve a London route from both Edmonton and Winnipeg, which WS did briefly pre-pandemic. This is also a market that no other airline is serving directly and makes a lot more sense than WestJet trying to compete with three or four different airlines (all with better FFP, lounges and networks) that serve Toronto-London.

As far as Calgary goes, the WS hub there is great for the city and region but offers me nothing as a traveler. I'd prefer to fly YEG direct to, say, London or Dublin or Paris, but if I can't, there's no compelling reason for me to connect in YYC as opposed to YYZ or YVR.

Actually, I'd PREFER to connect in YYZ or YVR instead of YYC because coming home on AC I can connect without having to reclaim my luggage or reclear security.
 
TravellingChris said:
My point was that trying to compete with AC at its most important hub--not to mention all the European carriers at YYZ--was always a fool's errand. There are significant opportunities elsewhere. The revival of 737 transatlantic flights from Atlantic Canada is smart. There is also a good opportunity to serve a London route from both Edmonton and Winnipeg, which WS did briefly pre-pandemic. This is also a market that no other airline is serving directly and makes a lot more sense than WestJet trying to compete with three or four different airlines (all with better FFP, lounges and networks) that serve Toronto-London.

As far as Calgary goes, the WS hub there is great for the city and region but offers me nothing as a traveler. I'd prefer to fly YEG direct to, say, London or Dublin or Paris, but if I can't, there's no compelling reason for me to connect in YYC as opposed to YYZ or YVR.

Actually, I'd PREFER to connect in YYZ or YVR instead of YYC because coming home on AC I can connect without having to reclaim my luggage or reclear security.
Click to expand...
Would love Westjet to London for sure but just not really feasible right now with their current strategy, the fact MAX planes don't have the legs, and only 7 Dreamliners in the fleet.
 
It's definitely a time of transition for YEG with the significant scaling down of ULCCs this year and a lot of growth from WestJet. With the Canadian dollar where it is US carriers are not showing a lot of interest in outbound Canadian markets. Air Canada not showing much interest in western Canada. Foreign airlines increasingly tied up in alliances also means fewer opportunities outside of alliances for overseas service to YEG. I still think there's opportunity for YEG based on where immigration is happening from - Indian subcontinent + daily Europe service from an airline that has less slot constraints- looking at you Air France + NYC. YEG must be weighing their options pretty carefully right now- don't want to jeopardize what looks to be the start of a WestJet hub in YEG but don't want to give up opportunities. It will be an interesting to see what happens in 2024.
 
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