Air Canada is reducing its flights to the United States due to high jet fuel costs and decreased demand for travel across the border. The airline’s latest schedule adjustments include the suspension or postponement of eight transborder routes starting this autumn.
For the second consecutive winter, three routes from Toronto and Montreal to cities in the American Midwest will be canceled. Additionally, three seasonal routes from Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City to Florida will now commence in December instead of October. Two previously halted routes from Montreal and Toronto to New York’s JFK airport will not be reinstated this winter.
Earlier this year, Air Canada, WestJet, and Air Transat all trimmed their summer flight capacities to the U.S. as escalating jet fuel prices, driven by the Iran conflict, made certain routes unprofitable. Statistics Canada’s preliminary data reveals a 28% decline in Canadians returning by air from the U.S. between May 2024 and May of this year, with fewer than 462,000 individuals.
“Air Canada regularly assesses its schedule to match capacity with customer demand and seasonal travel trends,” stated spokesperson Angela Mah via email. She mentioned that the airline intends to resume service to JFK in the future. Meanwhile, Air Canada plans to enhance its New York presence by offering up to five daily flights between Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport and LaGuardia Airport this winter.
