Air Canada cuts 1,500 jobs, suspends more international flights – National

Air Canada is reducing a further 1,500 jobs and suspending extra worldwide flights whereas the airline grapples with heavy journey restrictions imposed to assist quell the unfold of recent coronavirus variants.

Efficient Feb. 18, the airline informed International Information that 17 flight routes to the U.S. and abroad will probably be briefly suspended till at the least April 30.

“Affected prospects with bookings will probably be contacted with choices, together with alternate routings,” Air Canada mentioned.

Impacted routes throughout the U.S. embrace:

• Toronto to: Fort Myers (Feb. 14), Boston (Feb. 16), Washington-Reagan (Feb. 17), Denver (Feb. 17) and New York LaGuardia Airport (Feb. 17)

• Montreal to: Boston (Feb. 17), New York LaGuardia Airport (Feb. 17)

• Vancouver to: Seattle (Feb 16)

Different worldwide flights affected embrace:

• Toronto to: Bogotá (Feb. 16), Dublin (Feb. 12), Dubai (start-up postponed), São Paulo (Feb. 16), Hong Kong (start-up postponed), Tel Aviv (continued suspension)
• Montreal to: Bogotá (Feb. 13)
• Vancouver to: London, England (Feb. 14), Tokyo-Narita, Japan (Feb. 15)

5:07Canada’s newest journey restrictions/quarantine guidelines defined

In line with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, non-essential journey accounts for roughly 15 per cent of travellers who’re coming again into Canada by aircraft, lots of whom are Snowbirds — Canadians who often journey to U.S. and abroad for the winter.

Chief public well being officer Dr. Theresa Tam mentioned the “easiest rule of thumb” is to limit non-essential actions “as a lot as doable,” even when which means doling out hefty fines.

Her feedback come within the midst of a federal authorities crackdown on non-essential journey that features necessary PCR testing, the requested suspension of all flights to sunny locations from main airways and designated quarantine lodges which might be anticipated to price greater than $2,000 for travellers.

Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s airline division, which represents flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, informed the Canadian Press that extra wanted to be executed if the nation’s aviation business was going to outlive the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We respect the necessity for measures to forestall the unfold of recent variants of COVID-19 in Canada,” he mentioned. “However restrictions should be accompanied by options.”

The brand new journey restrictions have already dealt a blow to the airliner’s trip subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge, which introduced 80 layoffs final week and formally paused its operations on Monday on account of the federal government’s suspension of all flights to the Caribbean and Mexico.

On Tuesday, Trudeau introduced he was increasing non-essential journey restrictions to incorporate a compulsory destructive PCR check for these coming into Canada’s land borders taken at the least 72 hours earlier than departure.

Trudeau mentioned border officers can’t legally flip away Canadians on the land border — however they will subject a “stiff penalty” of as much as $3,000 in fines for people who don’t present a destructive check and guarantee observe ups for these requiring further COVID-19 testing and quarantines.

“You may’t forestall somebody who’s standing at a land border crossing from coming into Canada as a result of technically they’re already on Canadian soil after they’re chatting with that customs officer,” he mentioned, including that non-essential journey represents roughly 5 per cent of individuals driving by means of Canadian borders.

The brand new measure goes into impact on Feb. 15.

— With recordsdata from The Canadian Press