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Air Canada Suspends Service On 30 Routes

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Thunder Bay isn’t impacted by an Air Canada announcement to indefinitely suspend service on 30 domestic regional routes.

The company says the move as well as a decision to close eight stations at regional airports in Canada is being made as a result of continuing weak demand for both business and leisure travel due to COVD-19 as well as travel restrictions and border closures.

Service from Regina to Winnipeg has been scrapped.

Air Canada says there are diminishing prospects for a near-to-mid-term recovery and they expect the industry’s recovery to take a minimum of three years.

Officials say they will be looking at changes to schedules and further service suspensions over the coming weeks.

Air Canada reported a net loss of $1.05 billion in the first quarter of 2020.

Here are the service suspensions:

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)

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Porter Airlines Delays Restart Once Again

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You will have to wait another month before you can board a Porter Airlines plane again.

The company has deferred its resumption of flights until August 31, one month later than previously scheduled.

Officials say the ongoing uncertainty presented by government COVID-19 travel restrictions, including border closures, is impacting their ability to operate flights.

Porter adds they are actively working to prepare for the resumption of service and are closely watching the latest developments.

The airline is also preparing to introduce enhanced health and safety measures.

For anyone who plans to book between now and the end of August, the company is waiving all change and cancellation fees on all fares, as well as Porter Escapes vacations.

Porter temporarily suspended flights March 21st.

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WestJet Announces Regional/National Layoffs

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31 WestJet employees are losing their jobs at the Thunder Bay Airport.

The airline says they are part of over 3,333 people to be permanently let go, as it moves to contract out office and management positions in the face of COVID-19.

However, this contracting out will not happen in four airports; Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary or Toronto.

Westjet President, Ed Sims, says “Throughout the course of the biggest crisis in the history of aviation, WestJet has made many difficult, but essential, decisions to future-proof our business. Today’s announcement regarding these strategic but unavoidable changes will allow us to provide security to our remaining 10,000 WestJetters, and to carry on the work of transforming our business. WestJet will once again serve the needs of Canadian travellers with low fares and award-winning service levels tomorrow and years from now.”

(With Files From Geoff Waterfield. Thunder Bay)