Canada 3000

Last updated
Canada 3000 Airlines
Canada 3000 Logo, November 1999.svg
IATA ICAO Callsign
2TCMMELITE
Founded1988
Ceased operationsNovember 8, 2001
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer program AAdvantage (only for miles earning)
Alliance Royal Aviation
Fleet size51
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec
Key people
Website canada3000.ca

Canada 3000 Airlines Inc. was a Canadian discount charter airline offering domestic and international flights. It was the largest charter airline in the world at the time of its operation, with over 90 destinations worldwide, although it changed to scheduled service in 2000 after the Canadian Airlines and Air Canada merger. Canada 3000 competed with Air Canada, WestJet, and fellow charter airline Air Transat. In November 2001, the airline went out of business after a sharp decline in revenues following the September 11 attacks in the United States. There have been several attempts to restart the airline since then. The airline was headquartered in Etobicoke in the west-end of Toronto, Ontario. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Operations

A Canada 3000 Boeing 757-200 at Lisbon Airport in 1991 Boeing 757-28A, Canada 3000 AN0827336.jpg
A Canada 3000 Boeing 757-200 at Lisbon Airport in 1991
Canada 3000 was the first A330-200 operator in April 1998 Airbus A330-202, Canada 3000 AN0170340.jpg
Canada 3000 was the first A330-200 operator in April 1998
A Canada 3000 Airbus A340-300 at Manchester Airport in 2001 C-GZIA 1 A340-313X Canada 3000 MAN 30SEP01 (6939319184).jpg
A Canada 3000 Airbus A340-300 at Manchester Airport in 2001
A Canada 3000 Boeing 737-200 at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in 2001 Canada 3000 Boeing 737-200 Davies.jpg
A Canada 3000 Boeing 737-200 at Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport in 2001

The airline was created in 1988 by British airline Air 2000, [3] initially for charter service to lease some of its airplanes for Canadian charter travel. The airline was denied license to operate by the National Transport Agency NTA because of the control and ownership of the UK firm. Air 2000 dropped out of an ownership position, and the airline started operations in December 1988. On May 1, 1989, by order of the NTA, it changed its name to Canada 3000. [4] The next year the airline acquired Vacationair and a subsidiary was created in Mexico with the name Aerofiesta (not to be confused with the similarly named Aero Fiesta Mexicana, which was founded in 1993). The company's owners were the Deluce family (25%), chairman John Lecky (45%) and Adventure Tours (30%). Following the demise of Wardair, the company's goal was to become Canada's largest charter carrier, a position it attained in 1991. [5]

The cover of the Canada 3000 summer of 1997 flight schedule stated the airline was serving destinations in Belgium, Denmark, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland and the U.S. as well as Canada. [6]

In 1998, co-founder and CEO Angus Kinnear was the recipient of the Tony Jannus Award for his contributions to commercial air transportation. [7] As of 1998, the airline carried over 2.5 million passengers annually, and had destinations in 22 countries. [8] In April 1998, Canada 3000 became the launch customer and first commercial operator of the Airbus A330-200. [9]

In 1999, Canada 3000 purchased Holiday Travel Consultants based out of Vancouver from Richard and Shelley Carlin, which expanded to become Canada 3000's retail division under the name Canada 3000 Tickets. By the time it closed its doors, Canada 3000 had expanded its retail division to include 40 branch offices as well as three call centers in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.[ citation needed ]

A Canada 3000 Airbus A310-300 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2001. It was carrying a Canada 3000/Royal Aviation hybrid livery after they purchased the latter Airbus A310-304, Canada 3000 AN0181735.jpg
A Canada 3000 Airbus A310-300 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2001. It was carrying a Canada 3000/Royal Aviation hybrid livery after they purchased the latter

In 2000, Canada 3000 went public, raising $30 million in an IPO. In January 2001, Canada 3000 bought charter carrier Royal Aviation of Montreal, Quebec for $84 million. [10] The company also acquired Royal Cargo Airlines' cargo division, renaming it to Canada 3000 Cargo. In March 2001 it also took over CanJet for $7.5 million [10] in stock. [5] In May 2001, following the merger of Canadian Airlines International with Air Canada, Canada 3000 also started operating scheduled flights. [10] In October 2001, one month before its demise, Canada 3000 became the first airline to operate non-stop service from North America to India. [11]

Collapse

On November 8, 2001 the company suddenly collapsed with no warning for travelers or employees. The company filed for bankruptcy, citing a downturn in air travel during the weeks following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. [12] The fleet was left grounded at various airports around the world, leaving 50,000 [10] vacationers stranded. [13] September 10, 2001 was a record booking day, but within a few days air traffic declined by 50%. The airline was offered a $75 million loan guarantee from the Canadian government under the condition of a 'viable business plan' being produced. By November 7, 2001, the airline had $260 million in debt, and only had $1.49 million in cash. In secret, it had applied to the Canada Labour Board for permission to cut labour costs by 30% by closing its Royal division immediately. The Board would not approve without union agreement. Union offers to cut 700 pilot and flight attendant positions did not provide enough savings immediately and the airline applied for bankruptcy protection on November 8, while it planned to continue flying. [10] By the end of the day, airport authorities in Toronto and St. John's, Newfoundland had seized planes under court authority and the company directors decided to cease operations. [14]

Out of bankruptcy, the Canada 3000 Cargo operation, which was still operating, was sold off and became Cargojet Airways , run by former Canada 3000 executive Ajay Virmani. [15] In 2002, Michel Leblanc, the former owner of Royal Airlines and later a director with Canada 3000 went on to form another scheduled discount airline, Jetsgo, which lasted almost three years before it too collapsed and filed for bankruptcy protection on March 11, 2005. The CEO, Robert Deluce continued in the airline business with the successful Porter Airlines out of Toronto Bishop. [16]

In 2005, a group of investors had planned to launch a new Canada 3000, with two Boeing 757-200s. [17]

Fleet

A Canada 3000 Airbus A319-100 at Hamburg Airport in 2002 Canada 3000 Airbus A319 Unterspann.jpg
A Canada 3000 Airbus A319-100 at Hamburg Airport in 2002

Canada 3000 operated the following fleet: [18] [19]

Canada 3000 fleet
AircraftTotalIntroducedRetiredNotes
Airbus A310-300 420012001Taken from Royal Aviation
Airbus A319-100 120012001Transferred to Skyservice Airlines
Airbus A320-200 1019932001
Airbus A330-200 419982001Launch customer
Airbus A340-300 120012001Transferred to Air Tahiti Nui
Boeing 737-200 1720012001
Boeing 757-200 1419902001

See also

Related Research Articles

Skyservice Airlines Inc. was a charter airline based in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It employed more than 2,000 people. Skyservice Airlines Inc. flew within Canada and to the United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela, Israel and Europe. During the summer, Skyservice sold tickets to Europe from Toronto using a Boeing 757-200WL. It also used an Airbus A330-300 for other chartered flights to Europe from Canada. Scheduled services to some destinations were offered during the summer season. Skyservice offered online-booking for those who wished to travel on Skyservice's scheduled destinations in the summer. Skyservice Airlines began operations in 1994.

Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada by size and passengers carried. Air Canada maintains its headquarters in the borough of Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 222 destinations worldwide. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Air Canada's major hubs are at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL). The airline's regional service is Air Canada Express.

Kalitta Air is an American cargo airline headquartered at Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. The company operates international scheduled and cargo charter services. Its call sign "Connie" is from its founder, Connie Kalitta.

Aloha Airlines was an American airline headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from a hub at Honolulu International Airport. Operations began on July 26, 1946, and ceased operations on March 31, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Georgian</span> Defunct Canadian airline

Air Georgian Limited was a privately owned charter airline based at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Between 2000 and 2020 its main business was its operation as Air Canada Express on a Tier III codeshare with Air Canada for scheduled services on domestic and trans-border routes. Starting in 2020 Air Georgian began focusing on air charters, before ceasing operations in May, after a sale of its assets to Pivot Airlines, a company run by the same executives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Mountain Air</span> Canadian regional airline

Central Mountain Air Ltd. is a Canadian regional airline based in Smithers, British Columbia. It operates scheduled, charter, and transborder services. Its main base is Smithers Airport, with other bases at Calgary International Airport and Vancouver International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport</span> International airport serving Winnipeg, Canada

Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is a Transport Canada designated international airport located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the seventh busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic, serving 3,031,113 passengers in 2022, and the 11th busiest airport by aircraft movements. It is a hub for passenger airlines Calm Air, Perimeter Airlines, Flair Airlines, and cargo airline Cargojet. It is also a focus city for WestJet. The airport is co-located with Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg.

CanJet was a Canadian low-cost air carrier headquartered in Enfield, Nova Scotia and based at Halifax International Airport. In addition to initially flying scheduled passenger service, CanJet operated charter flights using its own brand as well as flying contract and ad hoc charters for other tour operators and airlines throughout Canada and the United States. CanJet was wholly owned by IMP Group International and had 572 employees as of March 2007. The airline ceased operations in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jetsgo</span> Defunct Canadian low-cost airline

Jetsgo Corporation was a Canadian low-cost carrier based in the Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal. Jetsgo served 19 destinations across Canada, 10 destinations in the United States, and 12 scheduled weekend-charter destinations in the Caribbean. At the time the third-largest carrier in the country, Jetsgo abruptly ended service and entered bankruptcy protection on March 11, 2005, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the beginning of the busy March-break travel season. According to news outlets, the airline was processing orders and taking payments for flights the night before they claimed bankruptcy and ceased operations.

MyTravel Airways Limited was a British scheduled and charter airline with headquarters in Manchester, England. It operated worldwide holiday charter services mainly for its parent company, the MyTravel Group. The airline merged with Thomas Cook Airlines UK Limited in 2008 and was renamed Thomas Cook Airlines Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Aviation</span>

Royal Aviation was the parent of Canadian scheduled passenger and charter airline, Royal Airlines, which was based in Montreal Dorval Airport. The airline was acquired in 2001 by Canada 3000, which in turn went bankrupt in the months following the events of September 11, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AllCanada Express</span> Canadian cargo airline from 1992 to 2005

AllCanada Express was a cargo airline based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It operated nightly flights to some of the major United States cargo hubs and to Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Cargojet Inc. is a scheduled cargo airline based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It operates cargo services in Canada and internationally, as well as full aircraft charters. Its main base is John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport. Cargojet is a public company with over 1650 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Edward Air</span>

Prince Edward Air Ltd. was an airline headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The airline offered a variety of services including: scheduled cargo, ad-hoc charter, air medevac, maintenance, sales and service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porter Airlines</span> Canadian airline

Porter Airlines is a Canadian airline headquartered at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Porter Aviation Holdings, formerly known as REGCO Holdings Inc., Porter operates regularly scheduled flights between Toronto and locations in Canada and the United States using a fleet of Canadian-built De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 turboprop aircraft and Embraer E195-E2 jet aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nolisair</span> Defunct Canadian air transport company

Nolisair was a Canadian company, the parent company of Nationair Canada, a Canadian airline, and of Technair, an aircraft maintenance company. The company was owned by Robert Obadia. The headquarters was located in the Nationair Canada Building on the property of Montréal-Mirabel International Airport in Mirabel, Quebec.

KF Aerospace is an approved maintenance organization (AMO) which operates two maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Canada, one at Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia and the other at Hamilton International Airport in Ontario. It is the parent company of KF Cargo, which provides cargo aircraft charter and leasing services, and KF Defence Programs, contract operator of the Canadian Forces Contracted Flying Training and Support program. KF Aerospace is Kelowna's largest private employer.

Robert J. Deluce is a Canadian airline executive. He was the president and CEO of regional airline Porter Airlines, and has previously been an executive with Air Ontario and other airlines.

SkyLink Express is a cargo airline headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It operates dedicated air cargo / courier feeder flights throughout Canada and the United States and provides on demand air cargo charters from its bases in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton and Montréal-Mirabel.

SkyGreece Airlines S.A. was a Canadian-owned Greek airline headquartered in Markopoulo Mesogaias, Attica, near Athens. On 27 August 2015, the airline suspended operations.

References

  1. ↑ "Canada 3000 Airlines Worldwide Offices". Canada 3000. January 18, 200. Archived from the original on January 18, 2001. Retrieved May 20, 2009. "CANADA 3000 Airlines Limited Head Office 27 Fasken Drive Toronto, Ontario M9W 1K6"
  2. ↑ World Business Directory: 1997. Company Listings : Afghanistan - Germany, Volume 1. Gale Research, 1996. 474. Retrieved from Google Books on February 13, 2011. "3000 Airlines Ltd. 27 Fasken Dr. Etobicoke, ON, Canada M9W 1K6" ISBN   0-8103-6189-2, ISBN   978-0-8103-6189-8.
  3. ↑ "What Happened To UK Airline Air 2000?". Simple Flying.
  4. ↑ Foster, Cecil (May 10, 1989). "Air 2000 Airlines becomes Canada 3000 Airlines Ltd". The Globe and Mail. p. B3.
  5. 1 2 Barrett, Tom (November 10, 2001). "Airline started in 1988 with 2 planes: After bumpy start, Canada 3000 soared with charter business". Vancouver Sun. p. F3.
  6. ↑ http://www.timetableimages.com, March 31, 1997 Canada 3000 timetable cover
  7. ↑ "List of recipients of the Tony Jannus Award". Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
  8. ↑ Fly the Most Modern Fleet in America [brochure]. Canada 3000. 1998.
  9. ↑ "Air Fleet Management". UBM Aviaiton. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Pigg, Susan (November 10, 2001). "Air sickness; 50,000 passengers scramble as ailing carrier Canada 3000 is grounded". Toronto Star. p. E1.
  11. ↑ "Canada 3000 Flight Lands in India". The Tribune . October 11, 2001. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Canada 3000 grounds planes". Guelph Daily Mercury. November 9, 2001. p. A1.
  13. ↑ Ward, Doug (November 10, 2001). "The Canada 3000 grounding: Travellers seek new ways to get home". Vancouver Sun. p. F1.
  14. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Peter (November 10, 2001). "Scramble to seize airplanes spelled end: Overnight talks were fruitless once airports moved in". National Post. Toronto, Ontario. p. A1.
  15. ↑ "Cargojet Airways buys Winnport Logistics". Calgary Herald. July 5, 2002. p. D5.
  16. ↑ Coates, Al (March 12, 2005). "How about a great big hmmm for Leblanc and Jetsgo?". The Record. Kitchener, Ontario. p. F1.
  17. ↑ Flight International, April 2005
  18. ↑ "Canada 3000 Fleet | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  19. ↑ "Canada 3000 Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.