Airline schedule reductions expected to have “ripple effect” on Manitoba travellers

Your summer plans may be in for some turbulence as Canada’s major airlines reduce flights amid a growing number of delays and cancellations.

It comes as more Canadians are taking to the skies for the busy summer travel season.

But staffing shortages and operational issues have left many people grounded and unable to reach their destinations on time.

“It was supposed to be tonight,” said Kyla Caneda, who was scheduled to leave Winnipeg for Toronto Thursday for her 40 year high school reunion before learning her flight had been cancelled.

Something more travellers are bracing for as two of Canada’s major airlines have reduced flights ahead of the busy summer travel season, with demand growing amid relaxed pandemic measures. It’s a move Daryl Silver, president of Continental Travel Group in Winnipeg said is affecting his clients.

“For our regular customers, we’re working through all those cancellations and all those changes,” Silver said.

Air Canada is dropping an average of 154 flights per day in July and August. Most of the affected flights are to and from Toronto and Montreal which it described as “frequency reductions, affecting primarily evening and late-night flights by smaller aircraft, on transborder and domestic routes.”

The company said its international flights will be unaffected but three routes – between Montreal and Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Kelowna and one from Toronto to Fort McMurray – will be temporarily suspended.

WestJet said it’ll operate 25 per cent fewer flights compared to the summer of 2019. The company said most of the impacted routes are in and out of Toronto and Montreal.

The moves could trickle down and affect Manitoba travellers, according to the Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA).

“Anytime there’s a cancellation or a delay in the system you’re going to see a bit of a ripple effect at the airports,” said Michel Rosset, the WAA’s communications manager.

Silver said his travel agency recently helped a group heading to Mexico find a new flight a day earlier when theirs was cancelled.

He supports the moves being made by airlines and isn’t discouraging anyone from travelling.

“As everybody knows there’s concerns about the number of crews that are available and a lot of flights being cancelled,” Silver said. “I think it’s better that they get control of their schedule, reduce the number of flights so that they reduce the number of cancellations.

Caneda is grateful the airline she originally booked with helped get her on a different flight.

“They made things clear and we are heading up to Toronto tomorrow,” Caneda said.

Gabor Lukacs, founder of Air Passenger Rights, suggests it’s best to avoid air travel until operations improve. He said it’s important to document any problems if they arise so you can seek compensation for meals, and accommodations if your flight is delayed or cancelled.

The WAA said it’s still expecting more flights and more passengers to move through in July compared to June and travellers should be prepared.

“A big thing is to arrive at the airport early because the summer period is our busiest time of the year,” Rosset said.

To help make things run smoother officials suggest showing up two hours prior to a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.