MONTREAL LOOKS AHEAD 2017 should be a banner year

Expect 2017 to be particularly festive in Montreal. Having received an unprecedented number of tourists last year, the city could be celebrating tourism numbers.

Two centurion pedestrian bridges in New York State are in disrepair and must be replaced. There is, however, an obstacle to that construction project - the Niagara River. The solution to reconstruction would mean that the American and Bridal Veil Falls will have to be diverted to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, a resolution that could take up to nine months.

Travellers flying between Ottawa and Iqaluit and Halifax and Iqaluit will soon have another airline option. Canadian start-up Fly Sarvaq will start service in May to offer what they suggest is a more cost effective way for Nunavummiut to travel to these southern destinations.

Air Transat's pilots have voted almost unanimously to support a strike that would hit the vacation airline just before the busy March break travelling season.

An explosion and fire blew a gaping hole in a commercial airliner, forcing it to make an emergency landing at Mogadishu's international airport late Tuesday, officials and witnesses said.

A Maui-bound flight aborted takeoff today in Vancouver after the aircraft blew a tire. WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart says Flight 1876 was supposed to depart at 10 a.m.

A group of ten tourists visiting Jiufeng National Forest Park near Beijing were just within the Siberian tiger enclosure when their safari vehicle stalled. When attempts to re-start it were unsuccessful, the tour guide suggested that the group head towards the exit and make a run for it

Helicopter operators carrying tourists over New York City landmarks have agreed to a gradual reduction in tours to 50 percent by next year, meaning tens of thousands fewer trips and quieter homes and neighbourhoods, officials said Sunday.

Last week Alaska Airlines unveiled what it describes on its website as “the most substantial updates to its brand in a quarter century.” Part of the upgrades included a new paint job on its fleet, a refreshed website and mobile app and new signage at the airport.

United Airlines is trying to bring back a bit of the friendly skies, allowing families with young children to board early. The move, which takes effect February 15, lets families with children age two and under get settled in their seats before the rush of other passengers clamouring for overhead bin space.

The World Health Organization declared an international emergency on Monday over the explosive spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which is linked to birth defects in the Americas, saying it is an “extraordinary event.” WHO estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year, but no recommendations were made to restrict travel or trade.

The Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced that Cancun welcomed more than 5 million visitors in 2015, breaking the previous record of 4.8 million set the year before.