Harsh winter conditions swept across Canada on Wednesday, causing travel disruptions, school cancellations and power outages. Amid warnings that the winter storm coming in from the west could affect air travel to and from central Canada, Air Canada had delayed or cancelled more than 160 flights for the day — about 26% — by late Wednesday afternoon, according to the tracking service FlightAware. WestJet said it had cancelled 37 flights — for Wednesday and Thursday — at airports in Toronto, London, Ont., and Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. Both airlines said delays in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal could stretch into Thursday. "We are monitoring the weather and we have made some schedule adjustments in anticipation of the storm, and this is ongoing as the situation evolves," said Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick in an email, adding that customers will be rebooked or can opt for a refund. WestJet said in an email that all guests would be rebooked on the first available flight within 48 hours. Jazz Aviation, which operates regional flights for Air Canada Express, has cancelled 75 of its Wednesday flights, or 16%, according to FlightAware. Other carriers had already cancelled nearly 2,500 flights in the United States by early Wednesday afternoon, according to FlightAware, threatening to snarl trips and connecting flights for many others. Environment and Climate Change Canada says the heavy snow that started to hit a swath of southern Ontario this afternoon will be followed by ice pellets and freezing rain overnight. It forecasts snowfall of 10 to 15 centimetres with winds gusting at 50 to 70km per hour as the low-pressure system advances from the American southwest.<br/>
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Air Canada has launched a pilot project that enables travellers to use facial recognition technology to confirm their identification. The system is designed to make the overall travel and airport experience more seamless and enjoyable for customers, whilst also assisting the airline and airport with security and staffing issues. Air Canada's digital identification is now available for customers departing from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) when boarding select flights to Winnipeg, and for eligible customers entering the Air Canada Café at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The national carrier plans to expand digital identification to more airports and Maple Leaf Lounges in Canada as part of the trial phase. "Our government and Canadian airlines and airports are eager to move forward with innovative solutions and technologies to modernize the traveller journey in airports across the country, which would enable a more seamless and efficient air transportation system," said Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport – Government of Canada. "Air Canada's pilot project will speed up processes at YVR, and other airports where it's established, while respecting robust privacy measures and security standards. This project has great potential in making gate boarding easier and faster for Canadian passengers, while maintaining strong safety measures."<br/>
Lufthansa has named Heiko Reitz as it new CCO, with incumbent Stefan Kreuzpainter taking up a Lufthansa Group role with responsibility for network alliance and partner management. Reitz is currently senior vice-president network and mobility management across Lufthansa Group airlines, having previously served as vice-president network management at Lufthansa Group low-cost operation Eurowings. Lufthansa notes Reitz has made several key strategic decisions for network, alliance and partner management over recent years to drove harmonization among Lufthansa operators, as well as helping to stablise the company as a crisis manager during the pandemic. Lufthansa CE Jan Ritter says: ”With his experience in the commercial sector, his deep understanding of comprehensive partnerships, networks and customer offerings and developments in the airline industry, Heiko Reitz will drive the development of Lufthansa Airlines with a strong focus on customer needs.” Kreuzpaintner has served as Lufthansa CCO since the start of 2021, during which time he oversaw the post-pandemic introduction of the German carrier’s new premium product and the development of its Munich hub operation. Lufthansa Group board member with responsibility for commercial passenger airlines, Harry Hohmeister, says: ”I am looking forward to working again with Stefan Kreuzpaintner, who will use his know-how, creativity and ambition to further develop partner and network management for the entire group. His experience as Lufthansa Airlines CCO will be of great importance when integrating new partners and airlines into commercial processes.”<br/>
Thai Airways has suspended cabin crew members for not removing three food trays from passengers’ foldable tables on a flight from Singapore before it landed in Bangkok last week, following a complaint about the incident in a video uploaded on TikTok. The employees will be suspended for one month without pay, the airline’s corporate communications team announced on Facebook on Tuesday. It said the suspensions follow an investigation into the complaint. TikTok user Praewa_panicha posted a clip on the video hosting platform last week, showing that the food trays on the foldable tables at the seats she and two of her friends were occupying had not been removed before landing. No flight attendant removed the trays despite her ringing the bell for a flight attendant to do so twice, Praewa said in the clip. A plastic water bottle fell from one of the tables during the landing, she said, adding that she and her friends had to hold on to the trays to prevent a “mess”. The cabin crew member in charge and flight attendants who were suspended have also been issued warning letters and must undergo “intensive” safety training before they are allowed to return to work, the airline’s corporate communications team said. The airline prioritises passenger safety and has a checklist that flight attendants must follow before taking off and landing, the Facebook post said. T<br/>
Air New Zealand Thursday struck an optimistic tone over travel demand for the remaining fiscal 2023, while noting significant uncertainty over inflationary pressures and overall domestic and international economic outlook. The national carrier swung to a first-half profit for the first time in three years, helped by strong travel demand following the reopening of domestic and international borders, and strong cargo revenues which were above pre-COVID levels. "Our recovery is well underway and operating performance is improving steadily, but like most airlines globally, we continue to experience challenges," CEO Greg Foran said. Central banks worldwide have been hiking their respective monetary policy rates in a bid to temper soaring inflationary pressures, which have also led to fears of global recession. On the positive side, travel demand has staged a strong return following the removal of COVID-related curbs in the antipodean countries and regional markets, prompting the airline to gradually increase capacity and fast-track financial recovery. The company reported statutory profit before tax of NZ$299m ($185.95m) for the six months ended Dec. 31, compared with a loss of NZ$376m reported a year earlier. It recently faced headwinds on account of heavy impacts from Cyclone Gabrielle, which led it to cancel a total of 821 flights. The carrier resumed all operations last week. The company further added that it expects earnings before other significant items and taxation between NZ$450 and NZ$530m for 2023, which includes a preliminary estimate of the impact of the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.<br/>