Jazz (airline)

Jazz Aviation
IATA ICAO Callsign
QK JZA JAZZ
Founded 2001
Operating bases Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Hubs
Frequent-flyer program Aeroplan (Air Canada)
Alliance Star Alliance (affiliate of Air Canada)
Fleet size 116
Destinations 79
Parent company Chorus Aviation[1]
Headquarters Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Enfield, Nova Scotia
Key people Joseph D. Randell (CEO)
Employees 4,723
Website flyjazz.ca

Jazz Aviation LP, commonly shortened to Jazz, is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield, Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia,[2] and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation. Jazz Aviation provides regional and charter airline services in Canada and the United States, primarily under contract to Air Canada using the brand name Air Canada Express, and also as Jazz Charters.

It is Canada's third-largest airline in terms of fleet size (but not in terms of passengers carried annually, number of employees, or destinations served). Its Air Canada Express operations serve 79 destinations in Canada and the United States. Under a capacity purchase agreement, Air Canada sets the Jazz route network and flight schedule, and purchases all of Jazz’s seat capacity based on predetermined rates. Its main base is Halifax Stanfield International Airport, with hubs at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Victoria International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, and Calgary International Airport.[3]

Prior to April 2011, Air Canada's regional operations were branded as Air Canada Jazz. Following the award of a contract to Sky Regional Airlines, the Air Canada Express brand was introduced as an umbrella for all regional operations. The Jazz brand is now entirely managed by Jazz Aviation LP.

History

Corporate history

Headquarters of Jazz in Enfield, Nova Scotia, 2011

Air Canada Regional Inc. was established in 2001 from the consolidation of the Air Canada connector carriers Air BC, Air Nova, Air Ontario, and Canadian Regional Airlines (shortly after the merger between Canadian Airlines and Air Canada). The merger was finalised in 2002 with the creation of a new brand: Air Canada Jazz.

In 2006, ACE Aviation Holdings, the owners of Air Canada, sold off all of their Air Canada Jazz assets. Air Canada Jazz was then an independent company known as Jazz Air Income Fund, which launched an initial public offering in February 2006; units of the income trust traded as JAZ.UN.

On 15 November 2010, the airline was restructured and changed its name to Chorus Aviation, became a public corporation, and traded as "CHR" at the Toronto Stock Exchange.[1]

In 2011, Air Canada announced it would phase out the use of the "Air Canada Jazz" name and livery, and instead brand its regional operations as "Air Canada Express", with the subtitle "operated by Jazz". The contract between Jazz and Air Canada is currently in effect until 2025.

Operational history

In February 2006, Air Canada announced that City Centre Aviation Limited (CCAL) had served a 30-day termination notice for Jazz's month-to-month lease of terminal space at Toronto City Centre Airport.[4] The Toronto Port Authority itself does not control any significant terminal space at the airport, but it extended permission for Jazz to continue using the airport; however, since the airline could not find terminal space, they cancelled service to the airport at the end of February 2006. CCAL had been bought by REGCO Holdings, (now Porter Aviation Holdings), the owners of Porter Airlines, which launched service from the airport later that year.

In August 2008, Jazz Air removed all life jackets from its aircraft to lower fuel costs. According to the airline, passengers are to use floating seat cushions in the event of an emergency over water. The airline also stated that the probability of a water landing on the regional airline routes was almost zero, as no operation over great bodies of water occurs except for the Great Lakes and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and that in all circumstances, the airline always remains within 50 nautical miles (93 km) from land, as stipulated in the law, which removes the obligation from carrying any flotation devices.[5]

Other ventures

Thomas Cook Canada

In April 2010, Jazz Aviation LP had reached an agreement with Thomas Cook Group PLC to operate a fleet of at least six Boeing 757-200 aircraft during the winter 2010/2011 season.[6] The deal with Thomas Cook Group PLC followed the collapse of Canadian airline Skyservice, which previously operated aircraft for Thomas Cook during the winter season. The aircraft, which were leased from UK operator Thomas Cook Airlines, were used on flights to destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. On September 30, 2010, it was announced that the deal had been extended until 2015.[7] Sunquest charter service to sun destinations operated by Jazz Aviation, doing business as Thomas Cook Canada, began on November 5, 2010. However, on April 13, 2012, Thomas Cook Canada Inc. had terminated the remaining three years of the five-year flight services agreement with Jazz,[8] and the service ended on April 30, 2012.

For the 2011/2012 season, flights departed from the Canadian airports of Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, and Vancouver.[9] Destinations included Aruba, Nassau, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Montego Bay, Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and Curaçao.

PLUNA Líneas Aéreas Uruguayas S.A.

In April 2010, Jazz Air purchased a one-third interest in the Latin American Regional Aviation Holding Corporation (LARAH). In turn, LARAH owns a 75% interest in Uruguayan flag carrier PLUNA, while the remaining 25% is owned by the Uruguayan government. PLUNA said on July 6, 2012, that it was "suspending all flights indefinitely" and announced that 720 of the 900 staff would be sent on unemployment pay until a new associate for the company is found or the airline is definitively sold.[10]

Destinations

Jazz serves 79 destinations across Canada and the United States.[11]

Fleet

Jazz CRJ-200 in Air Canada Jazz livery
Jazz Dash 8-300 in Air Canada Jazz livery
Jazz Dash-8 Q400's in the old Air Canada Express Livery
Jazz Dash-8 Q400 in the new Air Canada Express Livery

The Jazz Air Fleet consists of the following aircraft as of February 2018:[12]

Jazz Aviation LP Fleet[13]
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
J Y Total
Dash 8-100 15 0 0 37 37 Operated for Air Canada Express.
Dash 8-300 26 0 0 42 42 Operated for Air Canada Express.
0 50 50
Bombardier Q400 44 5 0 74 74 Operated for Air Canada Express. New Q400s delivered with 78 seats. Five aircraft are configured with 74 seats.
0 78 78
Bombardier CRJ200 10 0 0 50 50 Operated for Air Canada Express.
Bombardier CRJ900 21 0 12 64 76 Operated for Air Canada Express.
Total 116 5

Bombardier Aerospace delivered the first of its new regional jet variant, the 75-passenger CRJ705 to Jazz Aviation on May 27, 2005. The aircraft was the first of 15 CRJ705 and 15 CRJ200 aircraft ordered in September 2004. Originally, the order had been for 30 CRJ705s and 15 CRJ200s, but was changed to 15 and 15, subsequently 15 Embraer 175 aircraft were added to the Air Canada mainline fleet. A 16th CRJ705 was added to replace a CRJ100 which was written off. The new aircraft undertook its first revenue earning flight on June 1, 2005, from Calgary to Houston. In mid-2006, the last Air Canada CRJ100 was transferred to Jazz.

On February 9, 2010, Jazz Aviation announced that it had finalized an agreement with Bombardier Commercial Aircraft for 15 Q400 NextGen turboprops with options for an additional 15 aircraft with deliveries to start in May 2011.[14] They were to be configured in a 74-passenger, all economy layout. The Q400s were used to replace older CRJ100/200 models which were returned to lessor. The Q400s were delivered in the new Air Canada Express paint scheme, and was the first aircraft in the Jazz fleet to have Air Canada Express branding.

On April 26, 2016, Jazz Aviation announced that the remaining CRJ705 aircraft would be converted to CRJ900.[15]

Fleet history

Air Canada Jazz previously operated 10 BAe 146-200 aircraft (on behalf of Air Canada) which it inherited from Air Nova and Air BC. They were retired from service in 2005.

Jazz previously operated a fleet of 6 Boeing 757-200 aircraft, branded as Thomas Cook Canada for the 2010-2012 winter seasons.

Jazz operated 25 CRJ100 aircraft from 2004 to 2013 on behalf of Air Canada. They were replaced by the Q400.

Jazz also operated 30 Fokker F28 jets under the CRA and then Air Canada Regional banners

Cabins

Business Class

Business Class is Air Canada's premium product in North America, and is offered by Jazz (doing business as Air Canada Express) on the CRJ900. There are 12 seats (B/E Aerospace's Spectrum business class seat) covered in grey leather. The seating is 1x2 abreast (with a single seat at row 1 port side), with 37 inches (940 mm) pitch. Each seat is equipped with a 110 V power outlet and personal audio/video on demand featuring Air Canada's enRoute ҽ inflight entertainment system by Thales.[16]

Economy Class

Jazz's Dash 8-100/300/400 and CRJ200 fleet feature all Economy Class cabins. The DHC-8-102s and DHC-8-301s feature the original deHavilland interior. The DHC-8-102A and the DHC-8-311s feature an interior that was updated in 1990 by Heath Tecna. The DHC-8-402 features Bombardier's NextGen interior.

The Q400s, CRJ200s, and CRJ900s (Economy Class) feature B/E Aerospace's Premium Economy Spectrum seat. The Economy Class seats on the CRJ900 are equipped with personal audio/video on demand featuring Air Canada's enRoute ҽ inflight entertainment system by Thales, with seats from rows 12 to 18 having 110 V power outlets. Seating is 2x2 abreast. All seats are covered in either grey (CRJs) or blue (Dash 8s) leather.[16]

Onboard services

All Jazz flights operating for Air Canada offer a complimentary hot and cold beverage service with alcoholic beverages available for purchase. On flights over 90 minutes, Jazz operates a buy on board service for Air Canada called Air Canada Express Café offering snacks for purchase.[17] On flights three hours and fifteen minutes or more in duration, sandwiches are added to the buy on board offering. Only major credit cards are accepted for payment on board. Jazz does not offer buy on board on Dash 8-100 or Dash 8-300 aircraft.[18]

Incidents and accidents

  • On May 20, 2007, Jazz Air flight 8911, operated by a Bombardier CRJ-100ER registered C-FRIL, which originated in Moncton, had its main landing gear collapse at Toronto-Pearson International Airport while turning from the runway onto the taxiway after an extremely hard landing. There were no injuries.[19] The aircraft was written off and was cancelled from the Canadian Aircraft Register on 18 July 2007
  • On November 6, 2014, a Bombardier Q400 operating as Air Canada Express Flight 8481, originating in Calgary and destined for Grande Prairie, blew a tire upon takeoff. The plane diverted to Edmonton due to high cross winds in Calgary. As the plane landed the right landing gear failed and a propeller blade broke off and impacted the fuselage. Four passengers were injured and taken to hospital, the last being released 2 days later; all had minor injuries.[20]
  • On February 24, 2015, a Bombardier Dash 8 operating Jazz Air flight 7795, originating in Toronto and destined for Sault Ste. Marie, struck a runway lead-in light on approach in poor weather conditions and was substantially damaged. No injuries were reported.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 "Jazz se transforme en société par actions et devient Chorus Aviation" [Jazz transforms into joint-stock company and became Chorus Aviation] (in French). 9 November 2010. Archived from the original on 14 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "Contact Us." Retrieved on May 19, 2009. "Head Office 310 Goudey Drive Halifax Stanfield International Airport Enfield, Nova Scotia, B2T lE4"
  3. ↑ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 54.
  4. ↑ "Jazz voted off the Island". CBC News. 2006-02-28. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  5. ↑ Winsa, Patti (2008-08-23). "Air Canada's Jazz tosses life jackets". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  6. ↑ Jazz Air in agreement with Thomas Cook Canada Archived 2010-04-07 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "Jazz Air adds hot vacation spots to schedule". CBC News. 2010-09-30.
  8. ↑ "Jazz Aviation LP receives notification of Thomas Cook Canada's intention to discontinue Flight Services Agreement". Canada Newsire. 2012-04-13.
  9. ↑ Thomas Cook Canada Route Map - Winter 2011/2012 Archived May 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ PLUNA Press Release
  11. ↑ "Jazz Aviation LP - Jazz Air head office | regional offices | statistics | fleet | senior management". Flyjazz.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-02-12. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  12. ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2017 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2017): 8. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  13. ↑ "Fleet". Jazz Air. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  14. ↑
  15. ↑ "Chorus Aviation to acquire five Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft". Chorus Aviation. 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  16. 1 2 "Our Fleet". Air Canada. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  17. ↑ "Cafe Jazz (menu)" (PDF). Air Canada Jazz. Retrieved November 4, 2008.
  18. ↑ "Onboard Café In North America, Sun Destinations and The Caribbean." Air Canada. Retrieved on January 20, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Landing gear collapses on Air Canada Jazz flight". Canwest News Service. 20 May 2007. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
  20. ↑ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/air-canada-crash-landing-in-edmonton-was-more-serious-than-first-reported/article21516648/
  21. ↑ "TSB probes Sault landing". Sault Star. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
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