Air Canada Cuts 30 Canadian Routes

Air Canada has announced that it was indefinitely suspending service on 30 domestic regional routes and closing eight stations at regional airports in Canada, effective June 30.  

The airline said that the changes were being made because of a “continuing weak demand for both business and leisure travel due to COVID-19 and provincial and federal government-imposed travel restrictions and border closures, which are diminishing prospects for a near- to mid-term recovery.”

The airline said in a release that it expects recovery to take a minimum of three years. It will also be considering further suspensions and changes in the coming weeks.

Air Canada reports that it has sustained a net loss of $1.05 billion in the first quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19.

Here is a full list of route suspensions and station closures:

Route Suspensions

The following routes will be suspended indefinitely as per applicable regulatory notice requirements. Affected customers will be contacted by Air Canada and offered options, including alternative routings where available.

Maritimes/Newfoundland and Labrador:

•Deer Lake-Goose Bay;

•Deer Lake-St. John’s;

•Fredericton-Halifax;

•Fredericton-Ottawa;

•Moncton-Halifax;

•Saint John-Halifax;

•Charlottetown-Halifax;

•Moncton-Ottawa;

•Gander-Goose Bay;

•Gander-St. John’s;

•Bathurst-Montreal;

•Wabush-Goose Bay;

•Wabush-Sept-Iles;

•Goose Bay-St. John’s.

Quebec/Ontario:

•Baie Comeau-Montreal;

•Baie Comeau-Mont Joli;

•Gaspé-Iles de la Madeleine;

•Gaspé-Quebec City;

•Sept-Iles-Quebec City;

•Val d’Or-Montreal;

•Mont Joli-Montreal;

•Rouyn-Noranda-Val d’Or;

•Kingston-Toronto;

•London-Ottawa;

•North Bay-Toronto

•Windsor-Montreal

Western Canada:

•Regina-Winnipeg;

•Regina-Saskatoon;

•Regina-Ottawa;

•Saskatoon-Ottawa.

Station Closures

The following are the Regional Airports where Air Canada is closing its stations:

•Bathurst (New Brunswick)

•Wabush (Newfoundland and Labrador)

•Gaspé (Quebec)

•Baie Comeau (Quebec)

•Mont Joli (Quebec)

•Val d’Or (Quebec)

•Kingston (Ontario)

•North Bay (Ontario)

Air Canada has reduced more than 50 percent of its staff and permanently removed 79 aircraft from its mainline and Rouge fleets.  Like American Airlines, United and Lufthansa, it has also announced that it will be booking existing flights to capacity and will no longer be blocking middle seats.