Air Canada Is Shutting Down 30 Domestic Routes In Canada Indefinitely
Travelling within the country could be a little bit more difficult now. Air Canada routes are being shut down across the country and COVID-19 is to blame. With this, 30 domestic flight routes are affected.
On June 30, Air Canada announced changes to its regional network within the country.
Service on 30 domestic routes is suspended indefinitely because of low travel demand.
The national airline is pointing the finger at COVID-19 related travel restrictions and border closures put in place by provincial and federal governments.
Most of the affected routes originate in Atlantic Canada followed by Ontario and Quebec, then western Canada.
On the east coast, the 14 routes that are being shut down are:
- 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
Then there are 12 routes either flying within Ontario and Quebec or between the two neighbouring provinces:
- 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
In western Canada, there are four routes, two of which go to the nation's capital:
- Regina-Winnipeg
- Regina-Saskatoon
- Regina-Ottawa
- Saskatoon-Ottawa
So, air travel within Canada might be a little more difficult to do now because of all the route closures.
If your flight is affected by this, you'll be contacted by Air Canada with options that include alternate flights.
Air Canada is also closing stations in eight regional airports in New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec and Ontario.
The airline said that the restrictions and border closures are reducing the possibility of travel recovery in the near future.
Over the coming weeks, more changes to flight networks and schedules along with other service suspensions will be looked at to reduce costs.
This news comes as domestic travel may be the go-to getaway this year.
There's even an interactive map that will tell you where you can travel within the country at the moment and if there are any restrictions.
If you're planning on going anywhere by air, temperature checks at Canadian airports have been mandated and you won't be able to board a flight if you have a fever.
Air Canada released its summer schedule back in May which was reduced to 97 destinations from last year's 220.