APRIL 2012
skytalkonline.com
Virgin Atlantic London-Vancouver flights begin next month
community:
Live@YVR wins award
page
4
air traffic:
WestJet’s new service
page
6
travel talk:
Starting May 24, 2012, Virgin Atlantic’s new service between London Heathrow and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) will begin. The new route will operate four times a week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Initially, the service will run throughout the summer period until October 27, 2012. Flights will depart Vancouver at 8:50pm and arrive in London Heathrow the next day at 1:45pm. Flights from London Heathrow will depart at 1pm and arrive in Vancouver at 3:10pm. Virgin is estimating that its flights could add as much as $54-million to Vancouver’s tourism industry by making the area accessible to new visitors who wouldn’t otherwise consider travelling. This figure is based on multiplying the number of new visitors the airline estimates will come to Vancouver by the average cost of a six-night stay in the city, including spending money. The new service has been timed to coincide with the peak summer travel time, when London will be hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games. “The North American market has always
Virgin Atlantic will use Airbus 340-300 aircraft on its new London Heathrow to YVR service, which begins on May 24, 2012. (Inset) Sir Richard Branson heads the Virgin Group, a conglomerate of more than 400 companies that includes the Virgin Atlantic airline. been at the core of our business,” said Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive. “Our success here has been due to our investment in product innovation and our willingness to respond to customer demand. With almost 20,000 people flying from the U.K. to Canada each month in the peak sea-
son, the U.K. is the largest overseas market for passengers to British Columbia.” Virgin Atlantic, headquartered in Crawley, West Sussex, England, is a discount air carrier under English business magnet Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. According to the Forbes 2011 list of
billionaires, Branson is the fourth richest citizen of the United Kingdom with an estimated net work of US$4.2-billion. See VIRGIN page 4
Control Tower goes blue for Autism Awareness
Titanic’s Centennial page
9
money matters:
Tax tips for 2012
16
page
restaurant guide: Earlier this month, YVR’s control tower went blue, the official colour of Autism Speaks, in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner page
18
YVR lit up its air-traffic control tower blue earlier this month in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) and as part of the Light It Up Blue (LIUB) initiative. Thanks to support to NavCanada, YVR’s control tower was the only one in Canada to
participate in LIUB. Other buildings in Canada that were lit blue included Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home of the Toronto Raptors; Rogers Arena, home of the Vancouver Canucks; Telus World of Science; and BC Place Stadium. YVR’s control tower had blue lights
For all your hobbyist & professional needs * YVR is the international aeronautical designation for Vancouver International Airport.
igniting the base and from the 13th to 17th floor of its 19-storey tower, from 6pm Monday, April 2 to 9am Tuesday, April 3. LIUB was founded in 2010 by Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, which each year lights up hundreds of the world’s
most iconic buildings and landmarks in blue, the official colour of Autism Speaks. The unique program aligns well with YVR’s accessibility program, which helps families and individuals with physical and cognitive challenges travel as freely as possible.
Spring into Flight Training See us for all your pilot training supplies
Health YVR
&
See Page 7