Air Canada (AC) says it plans to cancel dozens of daily flights this summer as the carrier
struggles with high fuel costs and increased travel demand.
In all, Air Canada will reduce its schedule by 77 round trip flights (154 flights total) each day in
July and August.
In a news release, the Montreal-based carrier said that the pandemic brought air travel to a halt
in 2020. Now, people are flying again, causing “unprecedented and unforeseen strains on all
aspects of the global aviation system.”
Air Canada said the flight reductions this summer aim to reduce passenger volumes and flows
to a level the company can manage.
Before the cutbacks, Air Canada had been operating about 1,000 flights a day, the airline said.
Three flights will be temporarily suspended between Montreal and Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and
Kelowna, as well as one from Toronto to Fort McMurray, Alberta. Most flights affected by the
reductions this summer are run out of Toronto and Montreal.
Domestic flights in Canada have been delayed in recent weeks, with industry data showing that
more than half of all flights at the country’s six biggest airports have been off schedule.
The aviation industry has blamed endless lines and flight disruptions at airports on a shortage of
federal security and customs officers.
Air Canada’s stock is down 23% year to date at $17.07 per share.