Air Canada Express launches Embraer regional jets

Avatar for Skies MagazineBy Skies Magazine | March 13, 2013

Estimated reading time 1 minute, 43 seconds.

On March 12, Sky Regional Airlines Inc. flew its first test/training flight with a former Air Canada Embraer ERJ-175. The flight carried several flight crews and flight attendants in training, as well as Transport Canada check pilots. The jet flew from Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport to North Bay Jack Garland Airport and back. Passenger service is scheduled to begin on March 14.
 
Air Canada’s fleet of 15 ERJ-175 aircraft is being transferred from the mainline fleet to Sky Regional Airlines between March and June of 2013, in order to reduce operating costs. The aircraft, acquired by Air Canada between 2007 and 2012, will be operated under the Air Canada Express brand with newly-hired, non-unionized Sky Regional flight and cabin crews. The arrangement allowing Air Canada to outsource its large regional jet business to regional operators such as Chorus Aviation (Jazz Air) and Sky Regional stems from an arbitrated pilots contract from 2012. Sky Regional will operate the ERJ-175s primarily on short-haul flights between Toronto, Montreal, and the Northeastern U.S.

Sky Regional was formed as a division of Skyservice Business Aviation and provides regional carrier service for Air Canada, operating scheduled flights between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. The airline was launched on May 1, 2011, when service commenced with five Bombardier Q400s. Sky Regional operates its 70-seat Q400s in head-to-head competition with Porter Airlines. 

 

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