Air Canada is reducing its U.S. flight operations due to increased jet fuel costs and decreased demand for travel to the United States. The airline’s latest schedule adjustments involve suspending or postponing 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 now commence in December instead of October. Furthermore, two previously halted routes from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s JFK airport will not resume this winter.
Earlier this year, Air Canada, WestJet, and Air Transat all reduced their summer flight capacities to the U.S. as escalating jet fuel prices, triggered by the conflict in Iran, made certain routes financially unviable.
Statistics Canada’s preliminary data indicates a 28% decline in the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. by air, dropping to under 462,000 passengers between May 2024 and May of this year. Air Canada’s spokesperson, Angela Mah, mentioned that the airline regularly evaluates its flight schedule to match customer demand and seasonal travel trends. She confirmed that Air Canada plans to reinstate service to JFK in the future but, in the meantime, will increase its presence in New York by offering up to five daily flights between Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport and LaGuardia Airport during the upcoming winter season.