Air Canada – which recently resumed operations to and from Ireland – has said its international routes will not be affected by its plans to cut numerous flights over the summer months due to under-staffed international airports’ ongoing inability to cope with the post-Covid resurgence in air traffic demand.
Air Canada said it will make “meaningful reductions” to its North American route schedule over the summer, with it cutting around 10% – or 154 flights – from its roster, which usually sees the airline operate about 1,000 flights every day.
The cut will mainly hit flights from Toronto and Montreal to other Canadian and US destinations.
International flights, Air Canada said, will remain unaffected.
Air Canada only resumed its services linking Montreal and Vancouver to Dublin earlier this month.
Commenting on the North American cuts, Air Canada President and Chief Executive Michael Rousseau said: “Despite detailed and careful planning, the largest and fastest scale of hiring in our history, as well as investments in aircraft and equipment, it is now clear that Air Canada’s operations, too, have been disrupted by the industry’s complex and unavoidable challenges.”
“To bring about the level of operational stability we need, with reluctance, we are now making meaningful reductions to our schedule in July and August in order to reduce passenger volumes and flows to a level we believe the air transport system can accommodate,” Mr Rousseau said.
