Air Canada will cut an average of 154 daily flights from its schedule for July and August, including the suspension of two transborder US routes.
In an email to the airline’s customers, CEO Michael Rousseau said a “surge in travel” has led to “unprecedented and unforeseen strains on all aspects of the global aviation system.” He added that the company had concluded “with reluctance” that it needed to make “meaningful reductions” in its schedule to overcome “service shortfalls.”
Four routes have been temporarily suspended, with a September restart eyed. The two most significant are transborder routes Montreal (YUL)-Pittsburgh (PIT) and Montreal-Baltimore (BWI). Also suspended are domestic services between YUL and Kelowna (YLW) in British Columbia and between Toronto (YYZ) and Fort McMurray (YMM) in Alberta.
“Most of the flights affected are to and from our Toronto and Montreal hubs,” an Air Canada spokesperson told Routes. “These will be mostly frequency reductions, affecting primarily evening and late-night flights by smaller aircraft, on transborder and domestic routes. Our international flights are unaffected, with a few timing changes to reduce flying at peak times and even out the customer flow.”
Prior to the cuts, Air Canada was operating more than 1,000 daily flights. The service disruptions Air Canada is facing are bedeviling carriers throughout North America, with the July 4 Independence Day holiday weekend in the US expected to be challenging for airlines.
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