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Canadian teams scramble as U.S. bans NHL charter flights

September 04, 2009

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly warns the ban on Air Canada chartered 
flights will create a complicated �patchwork� of travel that could 
�wreck havoc� with the oncoming hockey schedule, including early league 
games in Europe. Peter J. Thompson/National Post NHL Deputy 
Commissioner Bill Daly warns the ban on Air Canada chartered flights 
will create a complicated �patchwork� of travel that could �wreck 
havoc� with the oncoming hockey schedule, including ...

OTTAWA -- Canada's six NHL teams are scrambling to find alternative 
travel arrangements south of the border after the U.S. Department of 
Transportation banned Air Canada's charter fleet from flying between 
U.S. cities.

In a furious exchange with the Obama administration over the mid-August 
ruling, Canada has launched its own investigation and will soon close 
its skies to U.S. sports team charters in retaliation, warns Transport 
Minister John Baird.

The sticking point is an eight-year-old exemption that had allowed 
sports and celebrity charters to make several pit stops in American 
cities. Under existing open skies agreements, regular Canadian airline 
flights can only visit one U.S. city before returning.

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly warns the charter ban will create a 
complicated "patchwork" of travel that could "wreck havoc" with the 
oncoming hockey schedule, including early league games in Europe, as 
teams scramble to book flights under the new rules.

"It's potentially a very significant impact," Mr. Daly said Friday. 
"It's crazy and very destabilizing to our business. We're operating on 
a long-standing interpretation and for it to change overnight on the 
eve of our season is creating a huge problem for us."

Air Canada executive vice president Duncan Dee predicted the ruling 
will create "chaos" for teams shuttling across the border. "It's 
extremely messy for both American and Canadian teams," he said. It was 
a unilateral action imposed without consultation or Air Canada being 
able to defend itself. It's obvious the U.S. Department of 
Transportation doesn't watch hockey."

The Air Canada charters fly under the Jetz label.

Mr. Baird said the dispute "shows the power of anti-free-trade 
Democrats in the Congress" and cautioned his government will respond in 
kind.

"We've already directed the Canadian Transportation Agency to launch a 
formal inquiry and the next step will be a direction to the CTA to 
immediately prohibit charter flights by U.S. carriers under season-long 
contracts with professional sports teams with multiple stops in 
Canada," he said in an interview.

The ruling also side-swipes musicians and other artists on tour.

The matter was pushed by the U.S. Air Line Pilots Association. It had 
demanded an investigation of passenger lists on the NHL flights, which 
found a few examples of injured players, personal trainers and team 
owners boarding the charter south of the border and departing at 
another U.S. city in a technical violation of the agreement.

Despite the small number of passengers involved, the American side 
ruled it was enough to shut down an arrangement negotiated eight years 
ago during the George W. Bush presidency.

The Anaheim Ducks have pulled back from an Air Canada contract and 
there are concerns existing clients like the Boston Bruins and NBA 
Milwaukee Bucks will follow suit.

Air Canada says it still hopes Mr. Baird's hard-line response will 
force a resolution by the time NHL season starts next month.

Former Air Canada president Montie Brewer says the Jetz charters are 
the only way to fly for teams that must reach their destinations 
without fail. Each charter plane comes with its own on-board mechanic 
and has exclusive access to private terminals regular airlines cannot 
use.