History of Canjet Airlines

  • Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanJet Airlines is Canada's newest full-service charter airline, launched as a division of IMP Group in 1999. Commercial operations started on the 5th of September, 2000.
  • In May, 2001, CanJet merged with Canada 3000 shortly before its bankruptcy.
  • In late June, 2002, CanJet was relaunched as an independent airline, originally serving three destinations.
  • In April, 2004, services at Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport, Hamilton were launched, after WestJet shifted its eastern Canada hub to Toronto.
  • One year later, CanJet began to expand into the western Canadian market, adding a flight between Calgary and Toronto to its routes.
  • In May, 2006, Harmony Airways and CanJet signed a marketing pact to allow better cross country service, and as a consequence, CanJet planned to end flights west of Toronto, focusing more on Atlantic flights.
  • In early September, 2006, CanJet announced that it will focus on charter service, cancelling all regularly scheduled flights.
  • In mid-February, 2009, CanJet and Transat AT announced a five-year partnership.
  • In early 2010, the Canadian government designated Canjet Airlines to operate international scheduled service to Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas. Months later, Canjet Airlines strengthens relationship with Expedia Canada, making these airline's services available in the Expedia.ca website.
  • In July 2010, the company starts to offer its “Canjet Select” service for an additional charge. This option includes check-in, seating and boarding priorities, along with a variety of included beverages and snacks onboard. Later on, in August, it makes available for its passengers, a duty -free on board sales of gifts such as jewelry, perfumes, etc. In the operative context, Canjet decides to cut 27 flight attendant jobs, arguing its weak market position in Atlantic Canada. This year, Canjet retires its Boeing 737-300 fleet of airplanes.
  • In 2010 and 2011 Canjet was selected as one of Canada’s Top 50 Best managed companies.
  • In March 2011, Canjet lays off 48 flight attendants in Halifax, Canada.
  • Year 2012 records for the airline show a Boeing 737 malfunction of its nose landing gear at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. As a result, all passengers aboard were transported by bus from the taxiway to the airport terminal by the Broward County personnel. Later in March, there are recorded complaints by passengers for being detained without any adequate assistance in areas of the terminal at the Cayo Coco Airport-Cuba for 11 hours. This delay was due to the departing airplane mechanical failure.
  • In 2013, some serious questions arose about the future of Canjet that relies on its partnership with Transat for most of its sales. Transat made public its intention to scale back its relationship with Canjet, increasing at the same time its own fleet of airplanes. Canjet informs that is looking at launching scheduled flights on certain high traffic domestic and international routes and also that in 2013 that it will restart flight schedules to Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica and Barbados. Canjet also announces its new Hamilton- Los Cabos route as a winter seasonal service.
  • Early in 2013, Canjet was granted several licenses for scheduled service to Europe and some Caribbean destinations from Canada.
  • In May 2013, Air Line Pilots Association announces new Canjet collective contract after more than one year negotiations. Later, in June, the airline decides a permanent closure of its Vancouver base bringing a loss of 32 jobs.
  • No fatal incidents involving CanJet aircraft have been recorded so far. Finally, 2013 operations show an incident when ice in a water valve causes loss of control of cabin pressure on flight C6-770 from Toronto. There was a rapid descent and the involved plane returned and made a safe landing in Toronto Airport.