Breaking News: Canadian Airlines Suspending Sun Destination Flights Through April 30

January 29, 2021 Jim Byers

All four of Canada’s major airlines are suspending all flights to the Caribbean and Mexico until April 30, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today.

Trudeau said the deal agreed to by Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat will begin on Sunday, January 31.

The Prime Minister also said that, beginning next week, all international flights will be allowed to land only in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, and that, “as soon as possible,” all passengers will have to take a PCR test after arriving in Canada.

Arriving passengers will then have to wait for test results for up to three days at an approved hotel. Trudeau said those stays will cost $2,000.

If a passenger tests negative they can go home for the rest of their 14-day quarantine, and that there will be extended enforcement. Anyone who tests positve will have to spend the rest of their quarantine at a government approved facility, the PM said.

Trudeau also said mandatory testing is coming to Canada’s land borders.

Details will be laid out in the coming days, the PM said.

Air Canada issued the following statement:

Air Canada today said that, beginning January 31, it is temporarily suspending flights to Mexican and Caribbean destinations for 90 days in response to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, particularly during the Spring Break period. The decision, designed to achieve an orderly reduction in service and minimize customer impact, was taken in collaboration with the Government of Canada following consultations.

“Air Canada believes a collaborative approach with the Government of Canada involving all air carriers is the best means to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially given concerns around the variants of COVID- 19 and travel during the Spring Break period. Through consultation we have established an approach that will allow us to achieve an orderly reduction in service to these destinations that minimizes the impact on our customers and will support important public health goals to manage COVID-19.  System-wide the incremental impact on Air Canada’s cash burn is not material given the already reduced levels of passenger traffic resulting from COVID-19 and travel restrictions,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada.

Following consultations with the federal government, Air Canada has agreed to suspend operations to 15 destinations beginning this Sunday, January 31 until Friday, April 30. To help ensure Canadians are not stranded abroad, Air Canada plans to operate a number of one-way commercial flights from affected destinations after January 31 in order to return customers at the suspended destinations to Canada.

Affected customers will be offered full refunds given the services are being suspended with no alternative available.

Suspended destinations include:

• Cayo Coco
• Cancun
• Liberia
• Montego Bay
• Punta Cana
• Varadero
• Puerto Vallarta
• Antigua
• Aruba
• Barbados
• Kingston
• Mexico City
• Nassau
• Providenciales
• San Jose

WestJet issued the following information:

“The government asked, and we agreed,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “While we know that air travel is responsible for less than two per cent of cases since the start of the crisis, and even less today, we recognize the Government of Canada’s ask is a precautionary measure. We also note that the overwhelming majority of quarantine exemptions, well over 90 per cent in fact, are connected to land borders and not air travel. We have responded to their request and will suspend service to destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.”

Effective Sunday, January 31 at 12:01 a.m. ET, WestJet will suspend southbound operations to the following destinations until April 30. Over the subsequent two weeks, WestJet will work to bring our guests already in destination back to Canada.

Vancouver – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Vancouver – Cancun, Mexico
Vancouver – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Calgary – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Calgary – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Calgary – Cancun, Mexico,
Calgary – Liberia, Costa Rica
Edmonton – Cancun, Mexico
Edmonton – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Toronto – Cancun, Mexico
Toronto – Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Toronto – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Toronto – Kingston, Jamaica
Toronto – Montego Bay, Jamaica
Toronto – Liberia, Costa Rica
Toronto – Varadero, Cuba
Toronto – Saint Lucia
Toronto – Saint Marten
Toronto – Nassau, Bahamas
Toronto – Bermuda
Edmonton – Mazatlan, Mexico (Swoop)
Edmonton – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Swoop)
Toronto – Montego Bay, Jamaica (Swoop)
Toronto – Cancun, Mexico (Swoop)

Trudeau thanked the airlines for their help in battling COVID-19.

He didn’t address the issue, but the move certainly increases pressure on Ottawa to offer sector-specific help to Canada’s airlines.

As tough as it might be for some Canadians to skip their winter trips to the sunny south, it’s also a devastating blow to tourism workers in Mexico and the Caribbean who rely on Canadian visitors.

The Liberal government in Ottawa earlier this month said that all passengers age five and over who want to visit Canada must present a negative PCR COVID-19 test before they fly. Tests must be taken within 72 hours of a scheduled flight.

Trudeau said again that returning Canadians only account for two per cent of COVID cases in the country, but he said the new variant of the virus is very concerning and requires tough travel restrictions.

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