Air Canada Cancels 9000 Flights This Summer

Air Canada stated last week that it will cancel over 9000 flights in an effort to relieve unprecedented strain on the airline industry.

This summer, Air Canada will significantly reduce its total flight options. At present, the Canadian flag-carrying airline is currently operating around 1,000 flights per day & planned to reduce this by an average of 154 flights per day throughout the months of July and August.

In his letter to customers, Air Canada’s President and CEO Michael Rousseau wrote that “The unprescented number of travelers choosing to fly this summer has left the airline unable to provide customers with their normal standards of care, leading them to make the decision to cut flights to preserve a higher level of service. while many of these issues were anticipated and planned for, the airline must still cut thousands of flights in order to maintain its operational stability and reduce passenger numbers to levels that the airline can accommodate”.

The latest adjustments are likely to effect solely local flights, with no changes planned for the airline’s present international route operations.

Some flights are expected to be disrupted more severely than others. Flights to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport are particularly affected, as are flights on Air Canada’s smaller planes in the evenings and late at night.

Fortunately for passengers, those planned to go on suspended Air Canada flights will be reimbursed. According to the airline’s regulations, passengers will be rebooked on another trip or given the option of receiving a full refund. In addition, the Canadian government declared last week that it will pay travellers for any cancelled flights, regardless of the reason for the cancellation, ensuring that travellers are adequately protected as we enter an uncertain and chaotic travel time.