Air Canada halting flights to the U.S.

MONTREAL (NEWS 1130) — Air Canada is halting flights to the U.S. starting April 26 due to continued restrictions on cross-border travel.

The airline says the suspension of service will last until May 22. Flights will resume afterwards if no further border restrictions are announced.

Anyone with a flight booked during this period can change their booking for free.

“Since March 16, Air Canada has reduced its schedule by more than 90 per cent as a result of COVID-19,” reads a statement from the airline.

“Following the initial announcement of U.S.-Canada travel restrictions on March 21, Air Canada maintained limited service to 11 U.S. destinations from its three Canadian hubs, primarily to facilitate the repatriation of Canadians.”

Since March 21, in collaboration with the federal government, the airline says chartered flights have repatriated more than 6,000 stranded Canadians from MoroccoSpainEcuadorPeruAlgeriaArgentina, and Colombia.

“Over the past few weeks, we have mounted one of the largest repatriation operations of Canadian travellers stranded abroad in the country’s history. All returning travellers are subject to a mandatory self-isolation period of 14 days. We faced unprecedented obstacles, from airspace closures to tight travel restrictions,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs in a statement.

“Air Canada played a vital role in bringing thousands of our fellow Canadians home. I want to thank all those who worked day and night to make this major undertaking possible.”

The airline notes it has transported 250 tonnes of personal protective equipment since March 1.

Air Canada announced at the end of March it would temporarily lay off 16,500 employees as the airline struggled with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, but then said it would rehire them by taking advantage of the federal government’s wage subsidy program.

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