XPost: can.atlantic.general, rec.travel.usa-canada, soc.culture.canada   
   From: abc@123.cl   
      
   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.   
      
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