Jazz Air (QK, Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International (YHZ)) 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 Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (YUL)) as Air Canada Express.

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

Jazz Air (QK, Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International (YHZ)) 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 Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (YUL)) that will be retired instead.

PLUNA (PU, Montevideo Carrasco (MVD)) 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 Robert L. Stanfield International (YHZ)) owner Chorus Aviation owns one third of LeadGate.

WestJet (WS, Calgary International (YYC)) has signed a contract with tour operator Thomas Cook Canada to transport its passengers on a variety of its routes from Canada to the Caribbean and Mexico next winter. Thomas Cook had previously announced to give up its own operations where it had deployed six B757-200s operated by Jazz Air (QK, Halifax Robert L. Stanfield International (YHZ)) on these routes each winter.