Air Canada is reducing its U.S. flight operations due to high jet fuel costs and decreased demand for travel to the United States. The airline is making schedule adjustments by discontinuing or delaying eight transborder routes starting in the upcoming fall season.
For the second consecutive winter, Air Canada will cancel three routes from 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. Two routes from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s JFK airport, previously suspended, will not resume for the upcoming winter season.
Earlier this year, Air Canada, along with WestJet and Air Transat, reduced their summer flight capacities to the U.S. due to escalating jet fuel prices caused by the conflict in Iran. This situation led to certain routes becoming financially unsustainable.
Statistics Canada’s preliminary data indicates a 28% decrease in the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. by air, dropping to fewer than 462,000 between May 2024 and May of this year. Air Canada spokesperson Angela Mah stated that the airline regularly adjusts its schedule to match customer demand and seasonal travel trends. She mentioned that while Air Canada plans to resume operations at JFK in the future, the airline intends to increase its presence in New York by offering up to five daily flights between Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport and LaGuardia Airport for the upcoming winter season.