By Skies Magazine | September 11, 2015 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 4 seconds.
CanJet’s last aircraft has been re-branded with Air Transat decals. Andrew Cline Photo
Canadian low-cost operator CanJet ceased flying operations on Sept. 1, 2015. A division of Halifax-based IMP Group Limited, the Boeing 737-800 operator had but a single aircraft remaining in its fleet, which will now be managed by Air Transat.
The airline ran into difficulties in April 2014, when a five-year contract to operate leisure charters on behalf of Transat Tours was not renewed. In response, CanJet announced later that year that it would be launching its own tour operator subsidiary, CanJet Vacations. However, company president Stephen Rowe announced in May 2015 that the airline was shutting down its tour operator division, due to “the highly competitive environment within this seasonal market segment.”
That same month, the company laid off 47 pilots and 68 permanent and seasonal flight attendants, with a further 35 flight attendants receiving layoff notices on Sept. 1 when the airline ceased operations.
CanJet was originally formed in 1999 and merged with Canada 3000 in May 2001. After Canada 3000 went bankrupt later that year, the CanJet brand was relaunched in 2002. In its heyday, CanJet operated a fleet of 10 aircraft, supplemented by others leased for the peak winter season from European operators. In its early years, it operated 737-200 classics, then 737-500s. More recently, it operated an exclusively 737-800 fleet.
On Sept. 2, the last CanJet aircraft, C-FYQO, had Air Transat decals applied over the CanJet markings. Configured with a single-class 189-seat arrangement, the aircraft will now be managed by Air Transat.
IMP Group Limited also operates a large corporate jet fleet, including Bombardier, Falcon and Cessna business jets, and has extensive MRO operations in Atlantic Canada.
