Air Canada is reducing its flight operations to the United States due to escalating jet fuel prices and decreased demand for travel across the border. The airline’s latest schedule adjustments include the suspension or postponement of eight transborder routes starting in the upcoming fall season.
For the second consecutive winter, Air Canada will cancel three routes connecting Toronto and Montreal to cities in the American Midwest. Additionally, three seasonal routes from Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City to Florida will commence in December instead of October. Furthermore, two previously halted routes from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s JFK airport will not resume service this winter.
Earlier this year, Air Canada, along with WestJet and Air Transat, decreased their summer flight capacities to the U.S. in response to surging jet fuel prices triggered by the conflict in Iran, leading to certain routes becoming financially unsustainable.
Statistics Canada’s preliminary data reveal a 28% decline in the number of Canadians returning by air from the U.S. to less than 462,000 between May 2024 and May of this year. Air Canada spokesperson Angela Mah mentioned that the airline regularly evaluates its flight schedule to match customer demand and seasonal travel trends. Despite the current adjustments, the airline intends to reintroduce flights to JFK in the future. In the interim, Air Canada 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 winter season.