For Canada to temporarily cut at least 1,500 jobs, stop 17 foreign routes

MONTREAL – In the latest sign of a devastating COVID-19 levy on Canada’s aviation sector, Air Canada said Tuesday it will lay off 1,500 unified employees for a while while cutting more international routes.

The layoffs, which also involve an unnamed number of regulatory workers, will leave Air Canada with just a fraction of its pre-pandemic workers as the federal government announces measures such as quarantines mandatory hotel to prevent international travel further.

“We are further reducing our cross-border and international trade schedule as a result of COVID-19,” said a spokesman for Air Canada. “Affiliates will be notified of ticketing options, including other means. ”

The service cuts include 17 routes to the U.S. and other international destinations, and will last until at least April 30, Air Canada said Tuesday. The earliest performances take place as early as February 12th.

The route stops in the U.S. include flights to New York, Boston, Washington, DC, Seattle, Denver and Fort Myers, Air Canada said. The airline is also canceling flights to Bogota from Montreal, London and Tokyo from Vancouver, and Bogota, Dublin and Sao Paulo from Toronto, among other routes.

Flights from Toronto to Tel Aviv will be suspended, and flights from Toronto to Dubai and Hong Kong will be canceled.

News of the layoffs on Tuesday began sparking renewed criticism about how the federal government handled the COVID-19 pandemic, including its lack of a targeted aid package for airlines despite increasing travel measures has become more restrictive and has reduced consumer demand.

“We recognize the need for measures to prevent the release of new versions of COVID-19 in Canada,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of CUPE’s Air Canada Partner, which represents aircraft service at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge. “But limitations must be accompanied by solutions.”

“Instead of working with us, the government is working against us, and one year into this pandemic, Canada is the only country in the G7 without a plan to help the airline sector. to prevent the pandemic, and protect tens of thousands of good jobs, Lesosky said.

A spokesman for Congress of Canada, Allison St-Jean, said the government is there to support workers affected by the pandemic and its conclusions are based on Canadian Public Health science and recommendations. “We will never delay taking the necessary steps to protect the health and safety of Canadians,” said St-Jean.

For months, the government has been negotiating with airlines over the terms of an aid package. However, Ottawa has said that any support depends on airlines reimbursing passengers for flights that were canceled at the time of the pandemic.

The news on Air Canada will bring the total number of laid-off airline employees from the beginning of 2021 to around 5,000. This round of layoffs at Air Canada follows cuts of around 1,700 employees in January.

In addition to Air Canada, WestJet Airlines Limited has laid off more than 1,000 employees since the new year, and Transat AT Inc., which has suspended operations until April 30 and has lost about 450 employees. consolidate.

The latest travel restrictions announced by the federal government include mandatory hotel stays for people arriving in Canada by plane, which will cost passengers more than $ 2,000, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in January. Canadian airlines have also agreed, at the request of the federal government, to suspend all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30th.

As a result of the flights to solar destinations, Air Canada said last week that it intended to suspend operations at Air Canada Rouge, which will specifically operate the company’s flights to Mexico. and the Caribbean. The service cuts included temporary layoffs of about 80 employees.

Swoop, a low-cost carrier with WestJet Airlines Ltd., said it notified employees Monday that its staff would be reduced by 36 aircraft crew members as of Feb. 16, as a result of the new restrictions.

In addition to flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, Swoop suspended international flights from Edmonton, receiving a new federal mandate that all international flights land in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

“Swoop has transformed our work across the pandemic to ensure Canadians have access to essential travel at an affordable price,” said Swoop spokeswoman Denise Kenny. “We continue to operate a domestic-only timetable that reflects the demand of our passengers.”

Since the news of hotel quarantines, Trudeau has continued to get down on international travel, saying Tuesday, from February 15, anyone entering Canada through a land border must prove test of a negative COVID-19 test.

A previous requirement for international travelers to show negative test results, which came into effect on January 7, applied only to air travel. Airlines said they saw an immediate collapse when the requirement was implemented, leading to another round of route cuts and layoffs by Canadian carriers in January.

In a statement Tuesday, Conservative transport shadow minister Stephanie Kusie blamed widespread losses in the airline sector as the Liberal government handled the pandemic.

“The Conservatives will continue to demand the determination and competence that airline staff and those in charge of the airline sector deserve,” said Kusie.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 9, 2021.

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