UGANDA: Uganda Airlines Pilots Go For Training At Bombardier

Uganda Airlines has handed over the first cockpit crew sets to Bombardier for training as the comeback carrier ramps up to a revised June 2019 launch.

The first set of eight pilots has been sent to a training facility in France while the second set which travelled over the weekend will be training at the manufacturer’s site at Mirabel just outside Montreal.

Uganda Airlines will be receiving four examples of the Bombardier CRJ-900 series which will form the core of its regional fleet.

A pair of Aibus’ rejigged A330 dubbed the -800neo expected to arrive towards the end of 2020 have been selected for the initial long haul services.

Twenty four of an eventual complement of 36 pilots have been recruited so far and will undergo training at different levels depending of their current professional status.

Those that already qualified on the CRJ-900 will undertake recurrent training while those rated on different models of the CRJ will be going through a differences course to get rated for the CRJ-900, said a source close to the Uganda Airlines project team.

He added that it is those pilots transitioning from other aircraft types that will undergo the full type rating course that can take up to 28 days before they are qualifies to fly the new type as first officers.

Training for the pilots was supposed to start last November but was held up by delays in concluding employment contracts.

Delays in recruiting key position holders are responsible for a shift from the initial April 2019 launch of commercial operations to June.

Delivery of the first aircraft will go ahead as planned around February 23 followed by others in March, May, July and September.

There have been concerns about delays in locking up a finance deal for the purchases but President Museveni has assured the team that he will make the money available.

AfriExim Bank, the successor of the PTA Bank has offered a loan at a rate of just under six percent but the cabinet has asked the finance ministry to vet cheaper alternative.


Tourism Observer

CANADA: Air Canada Rouge Goes To Bucharest From Montreal And Toronto

Air Canada Rouge inaugurated new service from Montreal to Bucharest on Thursday and events were held on both sides of the Atlantic to celebrate the new service to the Romanian capital.

Air Canada Rouge president Duncan Bureau and his team flew on the inaugural flight.

Air Canada Rouge is the only North American airline flying to Romania, the largest European market without trans-Atlantic flights.

And so the new, seasonal route from Montreal to Bucharest, as well as seasonal Toronto-Bucharest service which launched on June 9, are the only direct air links between North America and Romania, and the first from Canada in over 16 years.

In the departure lounge at Montreal-Trudeau, passengers sampled Romanian treats, while a troupe of Romanian dancers in traditional costume entertained.

Several dignitaries then addressed the room including Adrian Ligor, Romanian Ambassador to Canada, Ioana Gabriela Costache, Romanian consul general in Montreal, Stephane LaPierre, Aeroport de Montreal’s vice president operations, and Adina Georgescu, president of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce of Quebec.

This new link will make it easier for investors and tourists from both Romania and Canada to travel either for business or pleasure. said Ambassador Adrian Ligor.

It also brings closer families and friends of the large Canadian-Romanian community in the Montreal area. I wish Air Canada every success with its new direct service to Bucharest.

This direct connection with Romania comes at the right time. At a time where Europe is at our doorstep and where the business relationships between Canada and our European neighbours will only get stronger with the coming into force of the CETA Agreement - Canada EU Trade Agreement, said Adina Georgescu.

It paves the way for the deepening of bilateral trade between Romania and Canada, be it commercial, personal, cultural or tourist.

I congratulate Air Canada and Aeroports de Montreal for their initiative and efforts to put this service in place. Air Canada can count on our support to help make this new direct air link a success.

Duncan Bureau, who was recently named president of Air Canada Rouge, welcomed and thanked passengers.

Thank you for joining us today on our inaugural flight to Bucharest. Bureau said.

We're extremely proud of this new route…This route opens up new economic ties between Canada and Romania, also tourism, cultural exchange, and a great opportunity for people to get home to visit their friends and family.

He then introduced the crew on the flight, saying We have a tremendous crew, one of the best crews in the world, and some of them are here, they’ll be with you today and I’ll be joining you as well, so I’m looking forward to flying over to Bucharest with all of you on this very, very first flight.

Following cake cutting and ribbon cutting ceremonies, it was time to board the aircraft for the eight hour and 55 minute flight from Montreal to Bucharest, the nonstop flight cutting three hours off the typical travel time between the cities when you factor in connections.

Following a smooth flight, we touched down just a few minutes early at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda airport, and what a welcome we received.

In addition to a water cannon salute from the airport’s fire department, which is customary when an airline begins flying to a new destination, Henri Coanda Airport also rolled out the red carpet, with a host of Romanian and Canadian dignitaries on hand to welcome the flight.

Also on hand were throngs of local media, who literally swarmed the tarmac, interviewing passengers as they deplaned on a hot, bright, sunny day. The arrival of Air Canada flight 1928 was big news in Bucharest, with the arrival even featured on that evening’s TV news programs.

Once all passengers had deplaned, and following another ribbon cutting ceremony, a press conference was held with local media.

Responding to a question from one reporter asking if Air Canada Rouge planned to expand service, Bureau responded We’re very happy with the advanced bookings and for the month of June we have a 90 per cent load factor and for the rest of the summer we’re very, very strong.

Typically what happens with these routes, we’ll start out with a few flights a week and then we’ll grow that operation as we start to see the market react.

Nothing would please us more if we could go to daily service if we get the support from the markets. So we’ll wait and see how the market reacts.

While most of the passengers between Canada and Romania will be VFR - Visit Friends and Relatives, Bureau said Canada that the Canada-Romania business communities are behind the new service and that there’s still a significant tourism opportunity as well.

Kevin Hamilton, Canadian Ambassador to Romania, was also on hand and had the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one about Air Canada Rouge’s new service and what it means for Canadians and Romanians.

First of all, it reinforces those people-to-people ties, which are already so strong. We have 200,000 Canadians of Romanian descent, and so the family ties across the ocean are already very strong and so this will make it that much easier for family reunifications.

For people to visit one another’s country. So that’s the most immediate impact over the summer.

Of course we hope that business-to-business ties are going to grow as well. We’ve got the new Canada-EU Trade Agreement, which is effectively in force right now, and so with Visa free travel especially, this is going to provide an opportunity for Romanian and Canadian business communities to get together more often.

In November 2016, Canada dropped the Visa requirement for Romanian nationals visiting Canada, although Visa-exempt travellers like Romanians must still obtain an eTA - Electronic Travel Authorization, prior to travelling.

From a tourism perspective, Hamilton seconded Bureau’s remarks adding Canadians more and more are looking for that sweet spot, between adventure tourism and all the comforts of home at the same time.

You get that in Romania. You’ve got a lot wild parts of the country, in Transylvania for example, but you’ve got larger, really dynamic cities with great nightlife and food.

And so I think you’re going to see Canadians attracted to that sense that Romania is still a little bit exotic. It’s an up and coming country for tourism and there’s lots to do and lots to see.

Air Canada Rouge’s service from between Montreal and Bucharest will operate twice weekly until October 4, 2018, while their twice weekly Toronto-Bucharest service will end on October 6.

Flights will operate using Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767ER aircraft equipped with 24 Premium Rouge seats and 258 seats in Economy class.

Schedule details:

- AC1928 departs Montreal on Mondays and Thursdays at 6:00 PM, arriving in Bucharest at 9:55 AM the following morning, until October 4, 2018. Flight duration is approximately eight hours and 55 minutes.

- AC1929 departs Bucharest on Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:45 PM, arriving in Montreal at 4:20 PM the same day, until October 5, 2018. Flight duration is approximately nine hours and 30 minutes.

- AC1964 departs Toronto on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 5:30 PM, arriving in Bucharest at 9:55 AM the following morning, until October 6, 2018. Flight duration is approximately nine hours and 30 minutes.

- AC1965 departs Bucharest on Wednesdays and Sundays at 1:45PM, arriving in Toronto at 5:00 PM the same day, until October 7, 2018. Flight duration is approximately 10 hours and 15 minutes.

Air Canada Rouge’s new Montreal-Bucharest service is one of ten new destinations launching from Montreal in 2018, alongside domestic flights to London, Windsor and Victoria, transborder service to Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and International flights to Tokyo-Narita, Dublin and Lisbon.


Tourism Observer

MEXICO: More And More Tourists, Feeling Unwanted In U.S. Are Opting For Canada.

Many tourists, feeling undesirable in the U.S., are going elsewhere instead.

Airports in Miami, Orlando, San Antonio and Denver clocked fewer travelers coming from Mexico City and Guadalajara in the first two months of 2017, while Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver saw a surge in traffic from Mexico’s capital.

It’s not hard to see why Mexicans may be choosing to alter their travel plans, what with all those Twitter jabs by U.S. President Donald Trump, his plans for a wall between the two nations and uncertainty over travel restrictions.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on the other hand, announced plans last June to lift a visa requirement for Mexicans that allows them to enter the country with only a passport.

A lot of people have canceled their trips to the U.S. because they don’t understand the new rules or are simply scared of them.

That’s been bad news for airlines focusing on U.S.-Mexico routes. Mexico’s two largest carriers, Grupo Aeromexico SAB and Controladora Vuela Cia. de Aviacion SAB, which operates as Volaris, recently cut their growth estimates on softer-than-expected demand.

Volaris Chief Executive Officer Enrique Beltranena blamed the Trump phenomenon and its effect on international travel as the main reason the carrier pared its second-quarter forecast for capacity growth to as much as 18 percent from as much as 23 percent — the first downward revision since 2014 for the fast-expanding discounter.

The Trump administration has ordered customs officials to enhance visa screening on visitors, including those from Mexico.

And while Mexicans aren’t directly affected by a proposed ban on travel from some countries or restrictions on electronic devices on flights from some airports, the measures add to the confusion.

A decline in tourism from Mexico could hurt American businesses that cater to travelers, including hotels and destinations like theme parks. Mexican visitors spent $19.7 billion in the U.S. in 2015, trailing only Chinese and Canadian travelers, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

U.S.-bound passengers from Mexico City to San Antonio declined 34 percent in January and 37 percent in February, according to data from Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Ministry.

Meanwhile, traffic from Mexico City to Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver surged, with gains of as much as 67 percent in January and 46 percent the following month, depending on the destination.

Aeromexico, with a wider route network than Volaris, can partially offset the decline with its stream of steady business travel. Volaris, which relies heavily on Mexican leisure passengers and customers visiting friends and family in the U.S., started seeing some improvement in March, analyst Duane Pfennigwerth at Evercore ISI wrote in a note Thursday.

It appears demand trends have recovered since February when U.S. travel policy uncertainty was very high. Mexico domestic leisure trends are strong but northbound leisure travel to the U.S. has not fully recovered.

The peso’s 10 percent gain this year and a more moderate tone from the U.S. could help Volaris further, Pfennigwerth said. On the other hand, he said, headline risk remains and the new administration has thus far given leisure travelers from the rest of the world reasons to delay or reconsider travel to the United States.

That’s certainly the case for Mario Hinojosa, a businessman in Monterrey, Mexico.

Hinojosa said he can understand why folks may not want to visit the U.S. after Trump took office. His daughter had been considering a study-abroad program in either New York or Washington when they started noticing a change in sentiment toward Latinos.

I said to her: no. Not this year, he recalled. I will pay for you to go to Italy for the summer if you want, but not the United States.

CANADA: Air Transat Commences Nonstop Flights From Montreal To Tel Aviv

Air Transat announced that it will be offering direct flights from Montreal to Tel Aviv. Also available from Toronto with a connection in Montreal, this nonstop flight between the Montréal–Trudeau airport and the David Ben-Gurion international airport of Tel Aviv will operate twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Sundays, from June 18 until late October.

We are thrilled to feature our very first destination in the Middle East.

The demand for a direct Montreal-Tel Aviv flight was high for travelers visiting friends and family in the two cities and those in search of new discoveries, states Annick Guérard, President and General Manager of Transat Tours Canada.

Tel Aviv is a vibrant and modern metropolis with plenty to offer when it comes to culture, gastronomy and nightlife. It is also the ideal gateway for a vacation immersing travellers in ancient and religious history.

This is great news for Quebecers who are eager for the re-establishment of a direct air link between Montreal and Israel, presenting travellers with a wonderful opportunity to discover the riches of the Holy Land, the beauty of its landscapes and the diversity of its peoples, says Ziv Nevo Kulman, the Consul General of Israel in Montreal and its Permanent Representative to ICAO.

Thanks to this direct flight, more Israelis will also be able to enjoy the 150th and 375th anniversary festivities in Canada and Montreal.

I welcome the decision by Transat to expand its operations into Israel. The opening of an air route is further proof of the success of our marketing efforts and that airlines view Israel as a sought-after tourism destination with economic potential.

We view Transat as a partner that will help increase the numbers of tourists arriving in Israel and we hope to see additional routes opening soon, adds Yariv Levin, the Israeli Minister of Tourism.

We are delighted that Air Transat has decided to add Tel Aviv to its roster of over 40 summer destinations out of Montréal–Trudeau.

This year, Air Transat’s weekly seat capacity will be increased by 20%, compared to 2016. Travelers departing from the city now enjoy an unparalleled choice of flight options from Montréal–Trudeau, with nearly 140 direct-flight destinations, says Philippe Rainville, President and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal.

This new Montreal-Tel Aviv flight on Airbus A330-300 aircraft consisting of 345 seats will allow travellers to enjoy an unparalleled flight experience with Air Transat, named Best North American Leisure Airline five years in a row.

The cabin comfort, personal entertainment system accessible via individual touch screens, complimentary checked baggage allowance and attentive crew are just some of the reasons flying Air Transat is so enjoyable.

Travellers passing through the Montréal–Trudeau airport can also feel the joy of vacations in the new Espace Air Transat section, offering an immersive multimedia experience designed by Moment Factory, among other features.

Air Transat’s 2017 transatlantic flight schedule includes 28 destinations, now available to a greater number of travelers thanks to its enriched connecting flight program.

Air Transat recently announced that it will be multiplying its direct flights to France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Croatia, while maintaining service to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and the Czech Republic.

MEXICO: Interjet to Fly Cancun To Montreal In July,Air France To Increase Paris - Cancun Flights

The low-cost Mexican carrier announces new flights to Montreal from Cancun and Mexico City, to reach the Canadian travel market.

After a year of announcing that it would arrive in Canada in 2017, Interjet finally offers its clients on its website new routes Mexico City – Montreal and Cancun – Montreal, flights that will begin to operate in the second week of July (July 13).

At the beginning it was announced by Interjet and several news pages that Toronto and Vancouver could be the destinations to reach with these flights, but Montreal turned out to be the first destination to conquer by this low-cost Mexican carrier, with flights from Mexico City and Cancun.

On its website the airline has already announced a one-way travel promotion of $2,819 pesos, taxes included, from Mexico City to Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport in Montreal for an introductory fare, and on a round trip of just under $5,500 pesos.

From Cancun the rate that Interjet handles by introduction is $3,270 pesos in a single trip and $6,671 pesos in round trip.

Interjet comes to compete with Aeromexico and Air Canada, for a growing market. Canada is the second most important market for the country and the third for Cancun; from January to July 2016, 1,130,989 Canadians arrived in the country, of which 55% stayed in a hotel in Cancun, that is, 621,746 Canadians.

Air France increasing Paris-Cancun flights frequency. The flights previously were only available from October to April.

To celebrate its 65th anniversary in Mexico and in response to the strong Mexican demand, Air France-KLM announced that starting this year, the Cancun-Paris route will operate four weekly frequencies throughout the year. Previously the flights were only available from October to April.

Based on the electronic records of the National Institute of Migration (INM), at the points of aerial admission to Mexico, Cancun International Airport reached 93,726, from January to November 2016 (latest available), a figure that would increase with this new measure.

From Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, frequencies for the winter season were operated through a Boeing 777-300, with 468 seats; while weekly frequencies during the summer season 2017 will be aboard a Boeing 777-200, with seating capacity of 312, said Vincent Etchebehere, CEO of Air France and KLM in Mexico.

Winter frequencies were available from October 14, 2016 to March 25, 2017, on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; While from March 26 to April 30, 2017, for what is considered the summer season, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays; and from May 3 to September 2017, flights will operate on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

With the direct flight throughout 2017 is projected a 40% increase, taking into account a 95% occupancy, which is what AirFrance has registered on their flights to Cancun and Mexico City.

These direct flights to Cancun offer French and European passengers direct access to the Riviera Maya, one of the most popular regions in Mexico.

In the Boeing 777-300, seats are divided into 14 for business class, 32 in economy premiun and 422 in economy. While the Boeing 777-200 aircraft are 26 seats for business class, 24 economy premiun and 260 for economy.

Great Britain, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy were the top five European markets for Cancun and Riviera Maya last year.

ISRAEL: Air Transat To Offer Direct Flights FromMontreal To Israel, June 18th

Air Transat will be the only airline to offer direct flights to Israel from Montreal when it begins twice weekly service starting June 18, on A330-300 aircraft.

Also available from Toronto with a connection in Montreal, the nonstop flights between Montréal Trudeau airport and David Ben-Gurion will operate on Wednesdays and Sundays until late October.

Along with air Transat will also be offering packages, guided tours and hotels.

“We are thrilled to feature our very first destination in the Middle East,” says Annick Guérard, President and General Manager of Transat Tours Canada. “The demand for a direct Montreal-Tel Aviv flight was high for travellers visiting friends and family in the two cities and those in search of new discoveries. Tel Aviv is a vibrant and modern metropolis with plenty to offer when it comes to culture, gastronomy and nightlife. It is also the ideal gateway for a vacation immersing travellers in ancient and religious history.”

Ziv Nevo Kulman, the Consul General of Israel in Montreal and its Permanent Representative to ICAO, called the announcement great news for Quebecers eager for the re-establishment of a direct air link between Montreal and Israel, “Thanks to this direct flight, more Israelis will also be able to enjoy the 150th and 375th anniversary festivities in Canada and Montreal,” he added.

The opening of an air route is further proof of the success of Israel’s marketing efforts and that airlines view Israel as a sought-after tourism destination with economic potential, noted Yariv Levin, the Israeli Minister of Tourism, adding that Israel views Transat “as a partner that will help increase the numbers of tourists arriving in Israel”. He said he hopes to see additional routes opening soon.

Air Transat’s weekly seat capacity out of Montreal is up 20% compared to 2016.

The Tel Aviv flights will be available for booking soon, says Air Transat.

Air Canada To Fly Direct From Montreal To Mexico City

Canada Air Mexico’s general manager told a press conference that the additional flight will bring to five the number of weekly flights between the two points.

Luis Noriega said Air Canada’s traffic between Mexico and Canada traffic is growing faster than its international traffic.

The new flight will be seasonal, and will operate from June 6 until October 16.

Another new seasonal flight will operate weekly between Montreal and Puerto Vallarta beginning November 18 and on December 21 that will increase to three flights a week. This route will run until April 21.

Last year Air Canada’s Mexico traffic was up 11% to 623,000 passengers, the airline said.

It’s a figure that the company expects will grow further when the Canadian government fulfills its promise to lift the visa requirement for Mexican travelers.

Traffic from Mexico to Canada is still recovering from the rule requiring Mexicans to obtain a visa, imposed in 2009, Noriega said.

Mexican aviation authorities say 2.872 million passengers traveled between Mexico and Canada last year, up 52% from 2010, making Canadian traffic the second-highest international traffic for Mexico after the United States.

CANADA: Air Canada Now Flys Montreal To Casablanca

The arrival of flight AC1936 at Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport this morning marks the successful launch of non-stop service between Montreal and Casablanca, Air Canada's first African route and the only scheduled non-stop service to North Africa by a North American carrier. Flights between Montreal and the famed Moroccan city will be operated until October 29th, 2016 by Air Canada Rouge with a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. Service is scheduled to resume on May 1, 2017.

"The launch of Air Canada's first route to Africa is a significant new addition to our international network. Our new service will be appealing for tourists traveling to Casablanca and beyond, the large Moroccan community based in Montreal as well as business travellers due to the historically close ties between Quebec and Morocco.

Customers will now enjoy convenient service on the only non-stop flight by a North American carrier to North Africa, with convenient connections throughout Canada and the U.S. on Air Canada's extensive network. For these reasons, we aim to eventually convert this seasonal route to a year-round service," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

"By making us one of the few carriers in the world to fly to six continents, our new Casablanca service also represents an important element in our ongoing international expansion strategy."

Air Canada Vacations offers vacation packages to Casablanca which include a variety of hotels ranging from three to five stars, as well as car rentals, tours and excursions.

The new service will be operated by Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada's leisure carrier, with a 282-seat Boeing 767-300ER, featuring a choice of three customer comfort options available: Economy; Preferred seating offering additional legroom; and Premium Rouge with additional personal space and enhanced service.

All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits.

From June 7th to July 9th, arrival and departure times from Casablanca will be 1 hour earlier, as Morocco reverses DST during Ramadan

**Sunday operations from Montreal and Monday operations from Casablanca are available as of June 26th

Since 2009, Air Canada has increased its system-wide international capacity, measured by seats, by approximately 50 per cent. This summer on June 16, Air Canada will inaugurate new international services from Montreal to Lyon. Air Canada will also launch new international services between Toronto-London-Gatwick, Toronto-Prague, Toronto-Budapest, Toronto-Glasgow, Toronto-Warsaw, Toronto-Seoul, Vancouver-Brisbane and Vancouver-Dublin.

Last year, Air Canada launched new international services between Toronto-Delhi, Toronto-Amsterdam, Toronto-Dubai, Montreal-Venice, Montreal-Mexico City and Vancouver-Osaka.

Air Canada also announced new seasonal Air Canada Rouge service from Toronto to London-Gatwick, Prague, Budapest, Glasgow and Warsaw, Montreal-Casablanca and Vancouver-Dublin.

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 200 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2015 served more than 41 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 airports in Canada, 55 in the United States and 87 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,321 airports in 193 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax.

Air Canada Rouge is Air Canada's leisure airline. Together with Air Canada Vacations, Air Canada Rouge offers competitively-priced travel to 70 exciting leisure destinations on 99 routes in Europe, Mexico, the U.S., the Caribbean, Asia, South America, Africa and Canada. As a wholly-owned subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge is backed by Air Canada's reputation for safety and reliability and Air Canada Vacations' history of vacation travel excellence.

Air Transat Will Launch New Flights For UK Travellers

Air Transat will launch several new services for UK travellers looking to discover more of Canada this summer.

The leisure airline will unlock more of the province of Quebec with a connecting flight from Gatwick to Quebec City via Montreal.

Services will depart every Sunday, returning on Monday from June 26th to October 23rd.

Greater choice is also being offered to Scottish passengers, with two additional weekly services to Vancouver from Glasgow.

In addition to the existing weekly direct service which operates throughout the summer on Wednesdays, customers can now fly from Glasgow to Vancouver via Toronto on Thursdays and Saturdays, returning on Wednesdays and Fridays between June 23rd and October 29th.

This is in addition to a new direct route from Glasgow to Montreal for this summer season.

Air Transat operates direct flights year-round from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow to Toronto and from London Gatwick to Vancouver.

From May to October the airline also operates flights from Birmingham to Toronto, Glasgow to Vancouver and Montreal, Manchester to Vancouver and Calgary, and London Gatwick to Calgary, Montreal and Quebec City.

FRANCE: Air France US to Paris Flight Diverted After False Threat

A flight from San Francisco headed for Paris has been diverted.

Air France said an anonymous threat which led it to divert to Montreal its flight AF083 between San Francisco and Paris on Tuesday was a false alert.

"After a full security search, false alert confirmed by local authorities following an anonymous threat," the carrier said in its Twitter account.

The plane had taken off for Paris again.

Security officials worldwide have been on high alert since Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris last month that killed 130 people.

Flight AF083 from San Francisco to the main Paris airport of Charles de Gaulle touched down just before midnight local time on Tuesday (Tuesday afternoon NZT) in Montreal, the firm said.

"Local authorities will begin checking the plane, passengers and baggage," Air France said.

"An investigation will be carried out by the authorities to identify the origin of the alert," added the airline, which apologised for the "inconvenience and delay" to its passengers.

CANADA: Winnipeg Human Rights Museum Wins Tourism Award

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg won a Canadian Tourism Award on Wednesday. It was also named one of the best-looking buildings in Canada by an Australian travel website.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was honoured on Wednesday at the Canadian Tourism Awards, and it didn't stop there — on the same day, Traveller, a website that posts travel advice for Australians, named the museum one of Canada's best-looking buildings.

The museum won the National Cultural Tourism Award in Ottawa, making president and CEO John Young and his team proud.

"Canada's new national museum is contributing to the transformation of Winnipeg into an international tourist destination and hub of human rights education," he said in a press release Thursday.

"Our first year of operation — in a building that's already become a Canadian architectural landmark — has been a truly amazing experience for everyone."

Best architecture in Canada,on the same day it received the award in Ottawa, the human rights museum was named one of seven best-looking buildings in Canada by Traveller.

The museum was the first location listed, and the write-up praised the museum's appearance inside and out.

"A swirl of glass, stone, steel and concrete is faintly reminiscent of folded dove wings, while the 100-metre-high Tower of Hope, which is illuminated at night, stands as a symbol of enlightenment," it said.

"Yet it's the interior experience that's truly awe-inspiring: climbing the walkways of the museum that opened in the Manitoba capital in 2014 is designed as a poignant journey from darkness to light."

A nighttime view of downtown Winnipeg, including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, where the Tower of Hope is visible in the night sky.

Habitat 67 in Montreal, Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario, Vancouver's Marine Building, Montebello, Quebec's Fairmont Le Château, the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa and St. John's Jellybean Row made the list, too.

Winnipeg restaurant also awarded, RAW: almond, a temporary restaurant framed by tarp and metal where patrons can walk or skate to their seats, won the Brewster Travel Canada Innovator of the Year Award in Ottawa on Wednesday.

The award, and the one taken home by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, has Manitoba Tourism, Culture and Heritage Minister Ron Lemieux inviting those who live outside the city to come and see what all the fuss is about.

"Manitoba's tourism opportunities are extraordinary and unique, and these honorees are a shining example of how our province truly is where Canada's heart beats," he is quoted as saying in the press release.

"We want the world to come and experience the province with us, and it's great to see our tourism industry receives this kind of recognition."

CANADA: Winnipeg Airport Passenger Traffic Up 4% For First Six Months Of 2015

Winnipeg Airport celebrated with a special cake the launch of Sunwing Airlines’ new winter seasonal service to Ixtapa in Mexico. The launch of services to Ixtapa has helped the Canadian airport achieve an average growth rate so far in 2015 of 4%, with 3.8 million passengers expected to be handled by the end of the year.

Winnipeg Airport celebrated with a special cake the launch of Sunwing Airlines’ new winter seasonal service to Ixtapa in Mexico. The launch of services to Ixtapa has helped the Canadian airport achieve an average growth rate so far in 2015 of 4%, with 3.8 million passengers expected to be handled by the end of the year.

Winnipeg is situated right in the heart of Canada and is the capital of Manitoba Province. The city is known for its strong mixed culture and numerous festivals, including the famous Festival du Voyageur, an annual 10-day winter festival that celebrates Canada’s fur-trading past and unique French heritage through entertainment, arts and crafts, music, exhibits and displays. One of anna.aero’s favourite sites in the city is The Forks, a historic meeting place in downtown Winnipeg that has a history dating back 6,000 years to the early Aboriginal people. Of course, the best way to get to Winnipeg and experience this history is to fly, and this summer you can reach Winnipeg from 22 non-stop destinations according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.

Passenger numbers up 4%
For the first half of 2015, passenger traffic out of Winnipeg has risen 4%, resulting in just over 74,000 additional passengers passing through the facility when compared with the same time period in 2014. Over the six months between January and June this year, the latter was the best performing so far, seeing an increase in passenger traffic of 5.3%. If the average rate of growth continues for the rest of this year at 4%, Winnipeg can expect to see just under 150,000 extra passengers travel through its facility, resulting in approximately 3.8 million people using the airport in 2015.

SVID says “Excellent”
Winnipeg recorded a SVID score of 0.70 (“Excellent”), placing the airport eighth out of the 50 plus airports that have been analysed so far this year. The result means that Winnipeg sits between Chennai and Belo Horizonte airports respectively. To gain a comparison within the Canadian market, two airports with similar passenger traffic figures to Winnipeg have also been analysed. Halifax Airport scored 3.36 (“Good”), while Ottawa Airport performed better than Winnipeg by scoring a very respectable 0.19 (“Excellent”), the best score recorded so far in 2015 by any airport.

Toronto Pearson remains top
Toronto Pearson remains the number one route from Winnipeg in relation to seat capacity, helped by the airport pair seeing an increase in seat availability of 7.6%. Of the remaining top 12 routes, only Calgary (3.7%), Montreal (9.3%), Saskatoon (0.1%) and Churchill (74.4%) showed growth. The route in the top 12 that has seen the biggest decrease in capacity is Ottawa, which is down -47.6%, meaning that Montreal now takes fifth spot when compared to the same time period last year when it was sixth. One major change to the top 12 is that Denver has fallen from 12th last year to 14th in S15, a result of capacity being shrunk on the sector by -28.3%. Two new airports that have entered the top 12 for S15 are Churchill and London (highlighted in light green), which have replaced Thunder Bay (-42%) and Denver.

Calm Air fastest growing airline
Calm Air (highlighted in light green) is the only airline in Winnipeg that is showing a growth in capacity when compared to the same time period of last year. The regional airline has grown capacity by 47.3%, allowing the carrier to become the third largest airline at the Manitoba airport, overtaking Delta Air Lines (-4.6%) and United Airlines (-42%). Both Air Canada and Westjet are reporting marginal declines in capacity when compared with S14, with the national carrier reporting a fall of -1.0%, while Canada’s largest LCC is reporting a drop of -1.1%. However both remain the top two carriers out of Winnipeg.