We can’t be considered a serious country when the airline regulator stipulates the exact number of weekly flights a foreign carrier can offer out of Canada. And people still wonder why Canadian air fares are punishingly expensive.
Ottawa is loosening restrictions on the number of flights coming from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after past diplomatic spats had limited flights.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the government is expanding air transport agreements to allow as many as 14 passenger flights per week from Saudi Arabia — up from four. The latest deal also includes as many as 35 passenger flights a week from the U.A.E., up from a maximum of 21. Plus unlimited cargo flights from both countries.
The feds should deregulate flights within Canada. I hardly ever fly to Saudi Arabia (OK, never) but I would like more options flying within Canada, and if Canadian airlines are unwilling, ask a few US airlines to offer some solutions to the woeful state of Canadian air travel.
Muslims flying to and returning from the hajj have a lot of fcking power in the frozen Shithole.
So let me get this straight: more flights from Saudi Arabia is sign of progress?
Desperation.
Yet another cartel that requires breaking inside the ultra corrupt banana republic that is Canada.
Letters from Solzhenitsyn.
Canada is so fkd up its not even worth reading about.
What is Transport Minister Steve McKinnon getting out of this deal?
This seems like a good thing to me. First, the more competition, the lower the prices to compete. Additionally, part of the deal in allowing an increase in Middle Eastern airlines to receive privileges in Canada included a reciprocation of the Middle East allowing the same number of flights from Canada. Also, attached to this (arguably) subsidiary agreement was an agreed to $70 Billion investment by the Middle East in Canada in an effort to diversify away from US dependency.
Finally, the Middle Eastern airlines offer economy seating. But, they make their money on the premium services. That means Canada doesn’t need to go full tilt in offering up the same premium service. They can offer up “one step up” over economy and fill a travel void for those people with a little extra cash, but not the amount needed for premium. Long flights have a tendency for people to shell out a little extra (without breaking the bank) for comfort.
Sounds an awful lot like “supply management”.