Air Canada is reducing its U.S. flight operations due to increased jet fuel expenses and reduced demand for cross-border travel. The airline is adjusting its schedules by pausing or postponing eight transborder routes starting in the forthcoming months.
For the second consecutive winter, three routes from Toronto and Montreal to cities in the American Midwest will be canceled. Additionally, three seasonal routes from Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City to Florida will commence in December instead of October. Two previously halted routes from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s JFK airport will not resume this winter.
Air Canada, along with WestJet and Air Transat, had already decreased their summer flight capacity to the U.S. earlier this year due to surging jet fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East. This increase made certain routes financially unviable.
Statistics Canada’s initial data indicates a 28% decline in the number of Canadians flying back from the U.S., with fewer than 462,000 travelers between May 2024 and May this year.
Air Canada’s spokesperson, Angela Mah, mentioned that the airline continually evaluates its flight schedule to match customer demand and seasonal travel trends. The company intends to reinstate services to JFK in the future. In the interim, it plans to enhance its New York presence by offering up to five daily flights between Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport and LaGuardia Airport during the upcoming winter season.