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The national flag carrier Air Canada is reducing the number of routes in Atlantic Canada and warn of station closures, moving the airports in the region which, in their opinion, will further isolate people in the region and force airports to close.
On Tuesday (Dec 8), the airline confirmed that it will suspend all flights to Sydney in Nova Scotia and Saint John in New Brunswick from January 11, 2021 until further notice. In addition, the flights on the following routes have been temporarily suspended: Charlottetown to Toronto; Deer Lake to Halifax; Fredericton to Toronto; and Halifax to Ottawa.
Mr. Derrick Stanford, CEO of Saint John Airport, has stated that the route cut is the third round of crisis the region has suffered during the pandemic, which will make it more difficult for people in the region to participate in economic recovery when the COVID-19 crisis subsides.
“It further puts the region behind. It will have a huge impact on our region’s economy, on the ability of families to reconnect, on the movement of essential workers and on airport employees and businesses,” said Mr. Stanford who is also the president of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association.
During the ongoing period of the pandemic, the overall seat sales of the airline are less than 8 per cent of the normal level. The collapse of the Atlantic Canada’s travel bubble and seasonal downturns makes the operation of the routes uneconomical.
Air Canada spokesman Mr. Peter Fitzpatrick said that this decision was not made lightly and the airline deplore the impact to its customers and community partners. However, without the specific financial support from the government, it has become more and more difficult to continue operating in this challenging environment.
Air Canada has already withdrawn from eight regional airports and suspended 30 domestic routes, posting quarterly losses amounting to CA$ 3.4 billion during the pandemic. The airline will also halt services on several other routes in January, including Revelstoke to Vancouver.
Also Read: Air Canada extends Flight Suspension between Halifax and Sydney in Nova Scotia
Due to the travel restrictions, border closures and passenger isolation, the demand for air travel has fallen sharply.
Air Canada’s CEO Mr. Calin Rovinescu had stated that he was ready to stop services on 95 routes and close the operations of nine Canadian regional airports but will wait to see how the aid negotiations with the federal government progress. He didn’t name the routes, but described them as domestic, international and US-based.
