Jetsgo
| |||||||
Founded | 2002 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ceased operations | 2005 | ||||||
Hubs | Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport Toronto Pearson International Airport | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | JetSmiles | ||||||
Fleet size | 29 | ||||||
Destinations | 41 | ||||||
Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec | ||||||
Key people | Michel Leblanc (CEO) | ||||||
Website | Jetsgo.net |
Jetsgo Corporation was a Canadian low-cost carrier based in the Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal.[1] Jetsgo served 19 destinations across Canada, 10 destinations in the United States, and 12 scheduled weekend-charter destinations in the Caribbean. At the time the third-largest carrier in the country, Jetsgo abruptly ended service and entered bankruptcy protection on March 11, 2005, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the beginning of the busy March-break travel season. According to news outlets, the airline was processing orders and taking payments for flights the night before they claimed bankruptcy and ceased operations.[2]
Soon after its demise, the company pledged to make a comeback as a charter-only airline. However, on May 13, 2005, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection, cancelled plans to relaunch service and began the process of liquidation.
History
Jetsgo was launched on June 12, 2002, and ceased operations on March 11, 2005. The airline was Canada's third-largest airline at the time, controlling up to 10% of the domestic market. Expert analysts widely blame the airline for poor management. Founder Michel Leblanc had previously founded Royal Aviation, which he later sold to Canada 3000.
On March 11, 2005, Jetsgo abruptly announced that it had ceased operations. The action stranded thousands of passengers in airports and at their travel destinations with no way home, the defunct airline having made no arrangements with other carriers to handle their passengers. This occurred on the Friday morning before the March Break holiday season, one of the busiest air travel days in 8 of 10 provinces.
1200 employees lost their jobs. Jetsgo had accumulated $55 million in debt in the last eight months before it closed. Employees were finally paid for the time prior to the airline's shutdown on March 14, 2005. Passengers who had purchased Jetsgo tickets were forced to apply for refunds through their credit card companies or travel agencies. Air Canada and WestJet ran additional flights to bring the stranded passengers home.
Because of its abrupt shutdown, the Jetsgo name was frequently corrupted to "Jetsgone" in some media reports. Passenger Satoshi Takano also used this term for a website[3] which he created for former employees. It operated under that name for some time after the company's demise.
In February 2007 the media reported that the United States military was using the former call sign assigned to Jetsgo during flights over European Union (EU) territory. The Sunday Times said that the call sign had been used by military flights involving so-called "extraordinary rendition" of political detainees to black site destinations.[4]
Staff
The airline employed 1,350 people at the time that it filed for bankruptcy.[5]
Incidents and accidents
In March 2005 Transport Canada said that investigators found issues with the operating methods of Jetsgo. The deficiencies were discovered during "a special inspection" into engine problems revealed after a forced landing in Toronto in January 2005.
Number of incidents reported on a yearly basis concerning Jetsgo:[6]
- 2002: 5
- 2003: 15
- 2004: 32
- 2005: 7
- Total (2002–2005): 60
On 20 January 2005 a Jetsgo McDonnell Douglas MD-83 landing in poor weather and low visibility at Calgary International Airport, in Calgary, Alberta, veered left off runway 34 and hit a runway hold-short sign, damaging landing gear and flaps. The plane then declared a missed approach, took off and landed again. There were no casualties.[7][6]
Destinations
Canada
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- Newfoundland
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
- Prince Edward Island
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
United States
Charter operations
Jetsgo also operated weekend scheduled charter services from Toronto and Montreal to destinations in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
Fleet
Jetsgo operated a fleet of 14 McDonnell Douglas MD-83 and 11 Fokker 100 (plus six Fokker 100 in storage);[8] three more Fokker 100s were due for delivery in 2005. Seating in all aircraft was configured in an "all-economy" setting typical of low-cost carriers. Jetsgo also had special "comfort plus" sections on most of their planes, which featured more leg room on seats A and B in rows 1 - 12, as well as no middle seat.
Slogan
- "Jetsgo. Pay a little. Fly a lot." /"Jetsgo. Moins cher, plus souvent."
See also
References
- ^ "Talk to Us." Jetsgo. Retrieved on June 5, 2009.
- ^ CBC's follow-up to Jetsgo's closure - cbc.ca
- ^ "Archived copy". www.jetsgone.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "US military planes criss-cross Europe using bogus call sign", The Sunday Times, 19 February 2006
- ^ "Spring-break shock; Cheap fares and no-frills service marked the brief history of Jetsgo Corp., which went out of business yesterday". Toronto Star. 2005-03-12. p. F1.
- ^ a b "Safety issues dogged Jetsgo; One jet involved in eight 'incidents' In January, a plane veered off runway". Toronto Star. 2005-03-17. p. C1.
- ^ Flight International, July 2005
- ^ "Canadian discount airline Jetsgo". Air Transport World. April 2005.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help)
External links
- Jetsgo (archive)
- CTV.ca Timeline of events in Jetsgo's history
- Public Documentation on Jetsgo insolvency made available by accounting firm RSM Richter
- v
- t
- e
- 30000 Island Air
- Aero Activities Limited
- Aéro Golfe
- Aero Trades Western
- Aeropro
- Air 500
- Air 2000 Canada
- Air Alliance
- Air Atlantic
- Air Atonabee
- Air Baffin
- Air BC
- Air Canada Jazz
- Air Canada Regional
- Air Canada Tango
- Air Caribou
- Air Charter Systems
- Air Club International
- Air Fecteau
- Air Gaspé
- Air Georgian
- Air Labrador
- Air Mikisew
- Air Norterra
- Air Nova
- Air Ontario
- Air Saguenay
- Air Sask
- Air Satellite
- Air Schefferville
- Air Southwest
- Air Toronto
- Airspeed Aviation
- Airtransit
- Aklavik Flying Services
- Alberta Citylink
- Alberta Express
- Alert Bay Air Services
- AllCanada Express
- Alta Flights
- Arctic Sunwest Charters
- Arctic Wings
- Arrow Airways
- Ashuanipi Aviation
- Associated Air Taxi
- Associated Airways
- Associated Helicopters
- Athabaska Airways
- Atonabee Airways
- Austin Airways
- Avionair
- B.C. Air Lines
- Bar XH Air
- Baxter Aviation
- BCWest Air
- Bearskin Lake Air Service
- Boreal Airways
- Bow Helicopters
- Bradley Air Services
- Brock Air Services
- Brooker-Wheaton Aviation
- Calumet Air Service
- Canada 3000
- Canada 3000 Cargo
- Canada West Airlines
- Canadian Airlines
- Canadian Airways
- Canadian Colonial Airways
- Canadian Pacific Air Lines
- Canadian Regional Airlines
- CanJet
- CanJet Airlines
- Capreol and Austin Air Services
- Cargo North
- Carl Millard
- Cassidair Services
- Central British Columbia Airlines
- Central Northern Airways
- Chaparal Charters
- Cherry Red Airline
- Chimo Air Service
- City Express
- Contact Airways
- Corporate Express
- Curtiss-Reid Flying Service
- Deraps Aviation
- Discovery Air
- Dominion Pegasus Helicopters
- Eastern Canada Air Lines
- Eastern Flying Service
- Eastern Provincial Airways
- Eldorado Radium Silver Express
- Enerjet
- Expeditair
- Fecteau Transport Aerien
- First Air
- First Nations Transportation
- Flair Air
- FlyToo
- Fortunair
- Gagnon Air Service
- Georgian Express
- Ginger Coote Airways
- Globemaster Air Cargo
- Grand Island Aviation
- Great Lakes Airlines
- Great Western Airways
- Greater Toronto Airways
- Greyhound Air
- Gulf Air Aviation
- Haida Airlines
- Harmony Airways
- Hawkair
- Helijet Airways
- HMY Airways
- Holidair
- ICC Air Cargo Canada
- Innu Mikun Airlines
- Intair
- Integra Air
- Inter-Canadien
- Island Express Air
- Jetsgo
- Johanneson Flying Services
- Kamloops Air Service
- KD Air
- Kelner Airways
- Kelowna Flightcraft Air Charter
- Kenting Atlas Aviation
- Keystone Air Service
- Knighthawk Air Express
- Kootenay Direct Airlines
- La Ronge Aviation
- La Sarre Air Services
- Labrador Air Safari
- Labrador Airways
- Lac Saint-Jean Aviation
- Lamb Air
- Latham Island Airways
- Laurentide Air Services
- Leavens Bros Air Services
- Lethbridge Air Services
- Lethbridge Aircraft Company
- Lethbridge Commercial Airways
- Little Red Air Service
- Lynx Air
- M&C Aviation
- MacKenzie Air Services
- Maestro
- Maritime Central Airways
- Matane Air Services
- Millardair
- Minerve Canada
- Mont Laurier Aviation
- Montmagny Air Service
- Montreal & Dominion Skyways
- NAC Air
- Nahanni Air Services
- Nationair
- New Air & Tours
- Newfoundland Airways
- Newfoundland Aero Sales and Services
- NewLeaf
- NextJet Canada
- Nolisair
- Norcanair
- Nordair
- NorOntair
- North Canada Air
- North Cariboo Flying Service
- North Pacific Seaplanes
- North Vancouver Air
- North-Wright Air
- Northern Mountain Airlines
- Northern Wings
- Nunasi-Central Airlines
- NWT Air
- Odyssey International
- Okanagan Air Services
- Omineca Air Services
- Ontario Central Airlines
- Ontario Express
- Orca Airways
- Otonabee Airways
- Owen Sound Air Services
- Pacific Spirit Air
- Pacific Western Airlines
- Pat Bay Air
- Peace Air
- Pem-Air
- Polaris Charter Company
- Port Alberni Airways
- Powell Air
- Prairie Airways
- Prince Edward Air
- Pronto Airways
- Provincial Airlines
- Ptarmigan Airways
- Purple Label Airlines
- Quebec Airways
- Quebec Aviation
- Quebecair
- Quebecair Express
- Queen Charlotte Airlines
- QuikAir
- QuikAire Cargo
- Regency Express
- Regionair
- Regional 1 Airlines
- Rimouski Airlines
- Roots Air
- Royal Aviation
- Royal Cargo Airlines
- RoyalAir
- Salt Spring Air
- Saskatchewan Government Airways
- Sealand Helicopters
- Saguenay Air Service
- Sept-Iles Helicopter Services
- Skeena Air Transport
- Sky Regional Airlines
- Skycraft Air Transport
- Skyservice
- Skyxpress
- Slave Air
- Sonicblue Airways
- Soundair
- Soundair Express
- Southern Air Transport
- Southern Alberta Air Lines
- Southern Alberta Airlines
- Southern Frontier Airlines
- Starratt Airways
- Sunwest Home Aviation
- Swanberg Air
- Swoop
- Thomas Cook Airlines Canada
- Time Air
- Toronto Helicopters
- Trans-Canada Air Lines
- Trans-Gaspesian Air Lines
- Trans-Provincial Airlines
- Transair
- Transwest Air
- Trillium Air
- Trinity Helicopters
- Triton Airlines
- Universal Helicopters
- Vacationair
- Val Air
- Vic Turner Ltd
- Wilderness Seaplanes
- Vision Airways Corporation
- Vistajet
- Wardair
- West Coast Air
- West Wind Aviation
- Western Express Airlines
- Wilderness Seaplanes
- Windoak Air Service
- Winnport
- Whitehorse Flying Services
- World-Wide Airways
- Worldways Canada
- Yellowknife Airways
- Zip
- Zoom Airlines