WestJet (WS, Calgary) is keen on establishing operations out of Toronto City Centre should slots open up. Speaking during the recent handing over ceremony held at Bombardier (BBA, Montréal Trudeau) for the first two of twenty Dash 8-400s destined for nascent subsidiary, WestJet Encore (WJE, Calgary), airline CEO, Gregg Saretsky, said the arrival of the new turboprops now gave Westjet the means to serve the airport where jet traffic is prohibited except on MEDEVAC flights. Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) and Porter Airlines (PD, Toronto City Centre) are the only two scheduled airlines serving the airport at present. Saretsky added that Encore's low prices should also create new traffic despite stiff competition from Air Canada's regional partner Jazz Air (QK, Halifax).

Jazz Air (QK, Halifax) parent Chorus Aviation has lost one of its key shareholders earlier this week when Fairfax Financial Holdings has sold its 27.6% stake in Chorus at the Toronto Stock Exchange. Fairfax is controlled by Canadian-Indian investor Prem Watsa. Jazz Air operates 129 regional aircraft, both turboprops and regional jets on behalf of Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) as Air Canada Express.

Sky Regional Airlines (RS, Montréal Trudeau) will start operating two of four daily Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) round-trips between Montréal Trudeau and Moncton from October 1 replacing Jazz Air (QK, Halifax) on these flights. Sky Regional currently operates a fleet of four Dash 8-400s and had previously exclusively operated between Toronto City Centre and Montréal Trudeau for Air Canada.

Jazz Air (QK, Halifax) parent Chorus Aviation has exercised six of its 15 options for additional Dash 8-400s and plans to take delivery of the aircraft in spring 2013. It plans to use the new Dash 8-400s to replace nine CRJ-100s also operated on behalf of Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) that will be retired instead.

PLUNA (PU, Montevideo) and its losses have become the topic of political debates in Uruguay with the government actively looking for potential new investors willing to participate in a recapitalization of the carrier or even the option of nationalization. PLUNA currently operates 14 CRJ-900s on regional services and is 75% owned by Uruguayan investment company LeadGate with 25% of the shares held by the government. Jazz Air (QK, Halifax) owner Chorus Aviation owns one third of LeadGate.