BC news roundup - week 23

A round up of aviation news in BC/YT and with major airlines who serve BC.  All photos my own unless stated.  

If anyone has any news or photos - particularly from elsewhere in BC or Yukon - please comment or send to me via email cangloballog@gmail.com

NEW DELIVERIES

3rd June ... C-GXAN ... Airbus A321-271NY (XLR) ... Air Canada

3rd June ... C-GEKH ... Boeing 737-8 MAX ... Air Canada Rouge ... transferred from AC

4th June ... C-GCWV ... DHC 6 Twin Otter 100 ... Gravitas Avn [Calgary] ... ex RDPL-34678 with Lao Skyway.  Gravitas are a Vancouver based broker for DHC6 aircraft, they are usually stored and refurbished by Condor Aircraft at Calgary [YYC]

4th June ... C-FSIL ... Boeing 737-8 MAX ... Air Canada Rouge ... transferred from AC

6th June ... C-FHXN ... Airbus A220-300 ... Air Canada

7th June ... C-FHBQ ... Airbus A220-300 ... Air Canada

CANCELLATIONS

26th May ... C-FKVB ... Agusta A119 Koala ... Skyline Helicopters [Kelowna] ... to N964KP

29th May ... C-FEXW ... Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster ... Morningstar Air Express ... to N742FX

Photo taken by King Hui, returned to parent Fedex and replaced by the 408 Skycourier in YVR

2nd June ... C-GSKM ... Beech 1900C ... Skylink Express => to Momentum Jets 20th Feb ... to N61MK

Operated regional services around BC on behalf of UPS before losing the business to CMA resulting in their shut down or vice versa.  Both aircraft were registered to Momentum Jets of Toronto who are a aircraft charter company who presumably acted as a broker in this case, both aircraft have been sold to Raytheon (now the parent of Beech).

2nd June ... C-GSKN ... Beech 1900C ... Skylink Express => to Momentum Jets 20th Feb ... to N31729

Same details as above.  Photo by Hamza taken in Calgary in 2019, I am not sure it ever served YVR

4th June ... C-GITP ... Airbus A319-112 ... Air Canada Rouge ... retired 13th Apr & parked Greenwood MS 6th May

Photo by King Hui taken in Toronto in Nov 2022

ACCIDENTS

None

NEWS OF THE WEEK

1st June ... Lufthansa advise their new Allegris equipped long haul fleet will serve YVR for the 26/27 winter schedule, we already know the 747-400 will be replaced by 787-9 from 25th October.  Configuration will be 287 seats comprising 28J / 28PY / 231Y.

3rd June ... NORAD exercise over Vancouver involving USAF KC-135R Stratotanker 63-8884 simulated refuelling an RCAF CF-188 Hornet and escorting an RCAF CC-138 Twin Otter 13803 based in Yellowknife which routed via Prince George as Vampire 3.

3rd June ... NTSB release report of an accident in Smithers [YYD] of Mustang Helicopters (of Blackfalds AB) Eurocopter AS350 AStar C-GUXR https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/aviation/2023/a23p0040/a23p0040.html

Seen in Smithers where they have a base, along with Terrace & Prince George

4th June ... Jim Liu of AeroRoutes reports Hong Kong A/L have extended their codeshare agreement with WestJet to include WS1606/1 to Atlanta [ATL].

4th June ... Jim also reports ZIPAIR Tokyo have continued to schedule flights through the winter 26/27 season 5x weekly with 787-8 arr YVR 0830 dep 1030.

4th June ... Jim also reports Pacific Coastal A/L cancel their route to Quesnel [YQZ] from 13th June after a service reduction in May.  The only carrier on the route is now CMA who usually use a Dash 8-100 and this will now be the only scheduled service at all from the airport along with a tag to Williams Lake [YWL] outbound.  They are however increasing their Kelowna [YLW] to Comox [YQQ] service from 7 to 13 weekly (daily only on Saturday).  Both services operated by Beech 1900.

5th June ... Jim also reports Philippine A/L are reducing frequency on some longhaul services including YVR, there are cancellations on September 1st, 4th, 12th, 18th & 26th and October 4th & 13th.

5th June ... first visit of C-GXLR the new Air Canada A321 XLR for a staff, media and travel agency day held inside the north hangar.  Photos in the visitors section below, it arrived 11pm the night before.

6th June ... WestJet CEO in a recent interview says retirment of their remaining 36 737-700's will be accelerated due to fuel costs and 17 new Maxes are arriving in 2026.  Will that include a -10........??!!

6th June ... Philippine A/L announce membership of the OneWorld global alliance.

FOR THE DIARY - from YVR unless stated

10th June ... Sun Country A/L seasonal SY1041/2 arr 1057 dep 1157 commences from Minneapolis St Paul [MSP] until 28th August.

10th June ... additional World Cup Turkish TK4905/6 with 787-9 arr 1910 dep 2105.

11th June .... Harbour Air new service from Victoria Harbour [YWH] to Seattle Lake Union WA [LKE].

11th June ... Jetblue commence seasonal Boston [BOS] service with A320 B649/50 arr 2035 dep 2140.

12th June ... additional World Cup Turkish TK4905/6 with 787-9 arr 1900 dep 2055.

14th June ... additional World Cup Turkish TK4905/6 with 787-9 arr 1855 dep 2055.

15th June ... additional World Cup Turkish TK4905/6 with 787-9 arr 1950 dep 2145.

15th June ... Porter A/L commence Montreal St Hubert [YHU] PD373/4.

17th June ... Air X Charter (of Malta) A340-300 filed for a charter to Seattle [SEA].

19th June ... WestJet commence Comox [YQQ] from Toronto [YYZ] WS832/3.

25th June ... Harbour Air commence downtown Vancouver Coal Harbour [CXH] to Ucluelet [AN3].

29th June ... one off upgrade on BA86/87 from London Heathrow [LHR] to 787-9.

1st July ... BA86/7 second London Heathrow [LHR] flights changes from 787-8 to 777-200ER until 1st September when it reverts to 787-8 until final flight 1st October.

6th July ... BA84/5 from London Heathrow [LHR] changes from 777-200ER to A350-1000 until 8th September when it reverts back for winter season.

6th July ... Harbour Air commence downtown Vancouver Coal Harbour [CXH] to Campbell River, The Spit water aerodrome [YHH] opposed to YBL.

25th July ... Vanderhoof airshow, also 26th for a two day event celebrating 100 years of Vanderhoof.

1st August ... Air Canada weekly AC315/6 787-9 service to Honolulu [HNL] until 7th September.

4th August ... Canadian Snowbirds display in Victoria.

7th August ... Abbotsford Airshow, also 8th and 9th incl Canadian Snowbirds.

12th August ... Canadian Snowbirds display over White Rock - the last time in BC

15th August ... Chilliwack Flight Fest.

22nd August ... Air North resume seasonal Yellowknife [YZF].

31st August ... final summer seasonal ANA service from Narita [NRT] NH135/6 arr 1040 dep 1230.

1st September ... BA86/7 reverts from 777-200ER back to 787-8.

8th September ... BA84/5 from London Heathrow [LHR] switches from A350-1000 to 777-200ER.

18th September ... final British A/W BA2278/9 summer seasonal from London Gatwick [LGW].

1st October ... final British A/W BA86/7 summer seasonal from London Heathrow [LHR].

22nd October .... final summer seasonal Edelweiss Air from Zurich [ZRH].

25th October ... Lufthansa from Frankfurt [FRA] switches from 747-400 to 787-9.

25th October ... final summer seasonal Condor from Frankfurt [FRA].

26th October ... KLM from Amsterdam [AMS] switches from 777-300ER to A330-200.

21st November ... Delta A/L twice daily from Los Angeles [LAX] with A319 DL3192 arr 1140 dep 1250 and DL3184 arr YVR 1810 dep 1930.

1st December ... Air Canada AC1314/1317 to Cancun [CUN] upgrades to 787-9.

December ... new Air Canada (Rouge) seasonal services : 3rd Monterrey [MTY], 7th Puerto Escondido [PXM], 13th Liberia [LIR], 15th Mazatlan [MZT] and 17th Sapporo-Chitose [CTS] (mainline).

INTERESTING VISITORS - foreign registered, special liveries and rare non scheduled visitors

June 1st ... VH-ZND ... Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner ... Qantas ... Yam Dreaming livery

Incredible photo on departure to Sydney by Brandon Siska on Facebook

June 4th ... XA-CHJ ... Sikorsky S-76C++ ... Helicopter Operations Mexico [Ciudad del Carmen]

Parked next to sistership XA-CHH and probably arrived together, but only pulled out the hangar this day - Taxi Aereo titles seem to refer back to previous Brazilian sister operator

June 4th ... C-GXLR ... Airbus A321-271NY (XLR) ... Air Canada

Photos of arrival from Toronto by Brandon Siska on Facebook

Interior shots from Ethan Hermawan on Facebook - I would HATE that seat with the rear facing the window, big no thank you...

June 6th ... SP-TOP ... Gulfstream G650ER ... Jet Story [Warsaw]

June 6th ... 15002 ... Airbus CC-150 (A310-304) Polaris ... RCAF 437 Squadron [CFB Trenton]

June 7th ... 9H-VJG ... Bombardier Global 6000 ... VistaJet Malta

Shout out to Victoria where Tim Martin saw M-SNER Dassault Falcon 2000LX on June 2nd and LV-VEG Gulfstream V on June 1st.

With Flyzar of San Fernando Argentina

Thompson Aviation operating for the Edmonton Elks CFL team based out of Villeneuve AB on the IOM register

Neil Medcalf caught this ROK Navy 16-0607 Agusta Westland AW159-210 Wildcat also in Victoria on 1st June

Very rare catch in this part of the world, likely related to the submarine sales visit to the RCN - with 62 Maritime Heli Group based in Jinhae and Pyontaaek on anti submarine and marine operations

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