(Montreal) Faced with a series of problems, Air Canada is canceling a substantial number of flights scheduled for July and August.
Posted at 9:43 p.m.
Updated at 10:32 p.m.
A spokeswoman for Air Canada confirmed to The Press a decrease of 154 flights per day over the next two months, whereas until this week, the Montreal air carrier performed an average of 1,000 flights per day.
Speaking of an “unprecedented context” in an email sent Wednesday evening to customers, CEO Michael Rousseau explains that to “achieve the necessary degree of operational stability”, Air Canada must make “substantial reductions” to its schedule in July and in August.
This decision is made, he says, with the aim of decreasing passenger volumes and flows to a level that management believes is viable for the air transport system.
Michael Rousseau stresses in his email that it is a “difficult decision, because it will lead to other flight cancellations and unfortunate consequences for some customers”.
However, he adds, “By making cancellations in advance, we are giving affected customers time to review and make alternative arrangements, rather than having their travel plans disrupted shortly before or during their journey with few alternatives available”. The CEO says Air Canada is working “closely” with airports, the government and its third-party service providers, to restore industry operating standards to pre-pandemic levels. He warns, however, that the “real benefits” of this measure will take time to be felt as the industry regains its pre-pandemic reliability and robustness.
“Unfortunately, the situation is far from normal for our industry globally, and it is affecting our business and our ability to serve you with our usual level of attention,” said Michael Rousseau.
He said travel is “skyrocketing” around the world and the public is starting to fly again with a frequency “unprecedented” for the airline industry. “This surge in travel has created extraordinary and unforeseen pressure on all elements of the global air transportation system,” he says.
Michael Rousseau says flight delays and airport congestion are common due to a complex set of recurring factors that affect airlines and aviation ecosystem partners.
“Other industries are facing similar issues, as businesses and suppliers struggle to get back to business, unblock supply chains and meet pent-up demand,” he says.
“Despite detailed and rigorous planning, the largest and fastest hiring in our history and investments in aircraft and equipment, we must realize that the complex and inevitable challenges of industry also disrupted Air Canada’s operations. »