Air Canada is adjusting its flight operations to the United States due to increased jet fuel costs and reduced demand for cross-border travel. The airline’s schedule modifications include the suspension or postponement of eight transborder routes starting in the upcoming fall season.
For the second consecutive winter, three routes connecting Toronto and Montreal to cities in the American Midwest are being canceled. Additionally, three seasonal routes from Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City to Florida will now commence in December instead of October. Two routes from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s JFK airport, which were previously halted, will not be reinstated for the upcoming winter season.
Amid rising fuel costs caused by conflicts in the Middle East, Air Canada, along with WestJet and Air Transat, had already reduced their summer flight capacity to the U.S. earlier this year, affecting the profitability of certain routes.
Statistics Canada’s preliminary data indicates a 28% decline in the number of Canadians returning by air from the U.S. between May 2024 and May this year, dropping to below 462,000 passengers.
According to Air Canada spokesperson Angela Mah, the airline regularly evaluates its flight schedules to match customer demand and seasonal travel trends. While planning to resume service to JFK in the future, the airline intends 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.
