WestJet Airlines Ltd and Air Canada continue to slash their schedules and demand that Ottawa roll back COVID-19 travel restrictions to staunch the cash bleed.
According to the Globe and Mail, WestJet Airlines Ltd. has cancelled 20 per cent of its flights in March, extending schedule cuts from February amid continuing uncertainty that continues to drain demand.
Interim chief executive officer Harry Taylor said travel advisories and testing requirements were meant to be temporary, but that after two years the industry crisis has come to a head.
“It is disappointing that Canada remains stagnant in its approach and continues to make travel inaccessible and punitive for Canadians and inbound tourists,” he said Monday.
Echoing demands from Air Canada and Toronto’s Pearson airport last month, WestJet called for randomized testing upon arrival only, rather than mandatory molecular testing before takeoff and after landing for fully vaccinated international passengers.
The Calgary-based company also wants an end to quarantines for travellers awaiting results when they return from abroad.
Canada remains the only G7 country to require pre-departure and on-arrival molecular testing, Mr Taylor noted, adding Ottawa must outline a recovery path for the travel and tourism industry.
Since early November, WestJet and budget subsidiary Swoop have cancelled 11,285 trips that they had planned for March or 48 per cent.
Meanwhile, compared with its plan in mid-October, Air Canada has scrapped 16,617 or 41 per cent of its scheduled March flights, according to flight data firm Cirium.
More cuts may be en route across the airlines, as passengers hold off on ticket purchases until closer to the departure date to ensure pandemic measures don’t mar their travel plans.
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SOURCE – theglobeandmail
