Last week, Air Canada announced it was suspending services on 30 routes and cutting eight stations from its network. The reason for this, per the carrier, was part of the airline’s cost-cutting program to reduce cash burn. Also, these destinations showed week leisure and business demand.
Cutting routes
Air Canada is cutting the following domestic routes:
- 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
- Baie Comeau – Montreal
- Baie Comeau – Mont Joli
- Gaspe – Iles de la Madeleine
- Gaspe – 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
- Regina – Winnipeg
- Regina – Saskatoon
- Regina – Ottawa
- Saskatoon – Ottawa
This will see Air Canada close its stations at:
- Bathurst (New Brunswick)
- Wabush (Newfoundland and Labrador)
- Gaspe (Quebec)
- Baie Comeau (Quebec)
- Mont Joli (Quebec)
- Val d’Or (Quebec)
- Kingston (Ontario)
- North Bay (Ontario)
Will these cities still see service?
Air Canada is the largest airline in Canada. These cuts will bring some pain to several cities. Gaspe, Bathurst, and Kingston will lose all air service. As for the others, a few will be served by seasonal service on Sunwing Airlines or else see regional airlines operating. Ultimately, it is a big blow for many destinations.
Air Canada’s route network offered easy access to a global array of destinations for many of these cities. Now, passengers will have to find alternate routings, which may involve more stops or else travel by car.
Will more come?
Air Canada announced these cuts after the airline indicated it saw an uptick in domestic flight bookings. These cities, however, were likely some of the ones that did not appear profitable for Air Canada.
It would not be surprising to see Air Canada announce it will exit from more cities in Canada– especially as the low-season and hard winter comes along. As for when these could return, the airline is anticipating a three-year recovery period. If it does pan out that way, then these cities could see service again. However, given the current state of affairs, it likely would not be for the next few years.
At risk would be Air Canada’s regional destinations where demand was lower, to begin with. Moreover, the flag carrier is also adjusting its fleet and will emerge smaller from the current crisis. Another big variable is the 737 MAX return to service. If Canadian agencies do not recertify the plane by the end of the year, then it could be a rough winter and spring for many routes– especially if Air Canada continues ahead with retiring Airbus aircraft.
However, the Airbus A220 could save some routes. The airline views the plane as a gamechanger. The jet would offer lower operating costs than Air Canada’s aging Airbus fleet and could make some regional destinations viable again.
Are you impacted by Air Canada’s route cuts and station closures? Do you think the airline will cut more routes and stations? Let us know in the comments!
