Gallery Update: Air Canada Jetz Sighting in PDX!

Since mid-September, I've been keeping an eye on the arrival and departure patterns of a specific aircraft that I've noticed in PDX rather frequently. The aircraft in question is an Air Canada Airbus A319. But this isn't just any regular A319 in Air Canada's operations; we're talking about one of three A319s operating under the Air Canada Jetz banner, a charter division of Air Canada that caters to sports teams and corporate clients! As it turns out, Air Canada is running a few sports charters for Major League Soccer teams up and down the west coast.

I've been thinking about a spotting trip to Portland just to catch this rather rare and unusual sight since I first noticed Air Canada Jetz's presence, but it was hard to find the time to do so until today presented itself. Needless to say, this was a welcome opportunity. I was a little worried upon arrival however as the fog from the west rolled in and visibility at times were less than ideal. Thankfully, a lot of the fog burned off for me to get the shots I wanted, making this another successful and welcome spotting trip.

Portland (PDX) 57

Preview:

Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 (N772JS) airborne off 10L.

United Airlines Airbus A320-232 (N410UA) beginning taxi for departure as UAL445 for Denver.

Cessna 550B Citation Bravo (N22GF) taxiing to the FBO ramp after arriving on 10R from Coer D'Alene.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 (N201LV) taxiing to the gate after arriving on 10R as SWA3201 from Sacramento. Note the left winglet still in the old livery/logo.

NetJets Cessna 680A Citation Latitude (N624QS) taxiing to the FBO after arriving on 10R as EJA624 from Boeing Field.

Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 (N300KC) taxiing to the ramp after arriving on 10R. Owned by the Kroger Supermarket chain.

SC Aviation Raytheon Hawker 800XP (N411MM) arriving on 10L as COL411 from Boeing Field.

Flexjet Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 (N380FX) taxiing for departure as LXJ380 for Dallas-Love.

Horizon Air (d/b/a Alaska Airlines) Embraer ERJ-170-200LR E-175LR (N622QX) departing on 10L as QXE2292 for San Francisco.

Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-8F2 (N828SY) taxiing for departure as SCX8637 for Los Angeles.

One of two Major League Soccer (MLS) charters. 

SCX8637 departing on 10L for Los Angeles.

N201LV taxiing for departure, continuing on as SWA3201 for Denver.

Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI G650ER (N4096Q) taxiing for departure. Gotta love this solid black scheme!

SWA3201 departing on 10L for Denver.

N4096Q departing on 10L.

N300KC taxiing back out for departure.

Cessna 680A Citation Latitude (N673PP) taxiing for departure.

Air Canada Jetz Airbus A319-114 (C-GBIA) taxiing for departure as ACA7004 for San Jose. I am absolutely thrilled to catch one of Air Canada's Airbuses from their charter division! I'm also pleased to catch one of Air Canada's old mainline liveries on an Airbus after seeing only mainline liveries on their now-retired Embraer E-190s in the past!

Previously flew for Air Canada's mainline division from 1998 when it was delivered from Airbus until 2015, when it was transferred to the Jetz division. Currently operating charter flights for Major League Soccer.

The Air Canada Jetz fleet is configured with 58 business class seats and operates a premium business service for corporate clients as well as professional sports teams.

Jetz was founded in late-2001 and is the official carrier for all seven Canadian teams of the National Hockey League (NHL). They also had been the carrier for several US-based NHL franchises. Jetz was also the carrier of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) until 2016 when they switched to Delta Air Lines, and since April 2010, the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB); this was the first time Jetz operated sport charters during the summer.

In addition to sports teams, Air Canada Jetz carried U2 on their 2005-2006 Vertigo Tour, and again in 2009 on their U2 360 Tour. Jetz also carried The Rolling Stones on their North American tour (until the band felt the Jetz Aircraft was not large enough and transferred to a Boeing 747-400.). Jetz has carried many other high-profiled rock bands, including Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, The Spice Girls.

N300KC departing on 10L.

N673PP departing on 10L.

ACA7004 departing on 10L for San Jose.

In order offset some losses from cancelled sports charters as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and to add some frequency in a socially-distanced manner (and to keep aircraft and pilots active!), Air Canada Jetz began operating regularly-scheduled domestic flights in Canada for the first time on June 1 of this year from Toronto to Montreal and Ottawa.

ACA7004 airborne off 10L. Considering that all the original plane-spotting plans (namely all the inaugural flights and the new airline sightings) I had this year went awry and didn't happen due to COVID, opportunities like this have been a godsend for an otherwise sporadic year for aviation and for my personal aviation photography.