Air Canada suspends air service for the month of April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please see the Air Canada statement below for more information.
The Airport will remain staffed and ready to accept any emergency or private traffic. Please see the joint statement below from the City of Prince Rupert and the Airport Authority.
JOINT STATEMENT ON CONTINUATION OF ESSENTIAL AIRPORT SERVICES
March 19th, 2020 – Following today’s announcement regarding the cancellation of Air Canada flights to Prince Rupert during the month of April, the Prince Rupert Airport Authority and the City of Prince Rupert would like to let the community know that essential airport services such as access for emergency medical evacuations, runway maintenance, and our ability to receive supplies will continue to be maintained.
To accommodate the reduced number of staff that will be travelling to and from the airport, the airport ferry will run on a reduced schedule. In addition, airport ferry staff will be on call to accommodate other emergency needs as they arise. Remaining staff have been directed to take appropriate precautions with respect to social distancing, self-isolation if they are symptomatic or have recently returned from travel, and other hygiene practices as recommended by Provincial authorities.
We want to reassure the community that we are regularly monitoring the ongoing circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and are adjusting service levels in line with the advice of health authorities. At the same time, we will continue to guarantee that air access in and out of Prince Rupert is possible if it is needed in emergency situations. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
MEDIA CONTACT(S)
Veronika Stewart, Communications Manager
(250) 627 0976
veronika.stewart@princerupert.ca
Cody Smith, President Prince Rupert Airport Authority
(250) 600 0968
codysmith@ypr.ca
Air Canada Provides Update on Ongoing COVID-19 Response
Airline further reducing schedule, maintaining essential services where possible
MONTREAL, March 18, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada said today that it will gradually suspend the majority of its international and U.S. transborder flights by March 31, 2020 in response to decisions by national governments, including Canada and the United States, to close borders and restrict commercial aviation as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Subject to further government restrictions, the airline intends to continue to serve a small number of international and U.S. trans-border destinations from select Canadian cities after April 1, 2020. The airline also intends to continue serving all provinces and territories of Canada after that date, albeit with a significantly reduced network.
All schedule changes can be found at www.aircanada.com.
International and U.S. transborder services
In order to facilitate the continued repatriation of citizens to their home countries, including Canadians back to Canada, and to support the essential movement of needed goods and cargo during the crisis, Air Canada intends to continue to operate a limited number of international “air bridges” between one or more of its Canadian hubs and the cities of London, Paris, Frankfurt, Delhi, Tokyo and Hong Kong from April 1 until at least April 30. This will reduce its international network from 101 airports to six.
As to U.S. transborder services, given the decision by the U.S. and Canadian governments today, from April 1, Air Canada will reduce its transborder network from 53 airports to 13, subject to further reductions based on demand or government edicts. The cities with continued service will be: New York (LGA and EWR), Boston, Washington, D.C. (IAD and DCA), Chicago, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
Domestic Canada network
Air Canada intends to continue to serve all provinces and territories of Canada, reducing its domestic network from 62 airports to 40 through a reduced network during the period April 1 to 30, subject to further reductions based on demand or government edict.
For information on Air Canada’s schedule beginning April 1, 2020 please see www.aircanada.com.
“The restrictions on travel imposed by governments worldwide, while understandable, are nonetheless having a cataclysmic effect upon the global airline industry. Our immediate focus is on ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees, customers and communities. At the same time, we are exploring with the Government of Canada possibilities to maintain essential operations to enable as many Canadians as possible to return to Canada, and to support other vital transport needs, including the shipment of goods and cargo during the crisis as required in any state of emergency. We are working around the clock to deal with the impact for our customers and our business of the various travel restrictions that are being made by governments at unprecedented speed without advance warning. We will also look at helping Canadians to return home by operating a limited number of charters from international destinations and exploring with the Government of Canada avenues in this regard. We will provide updates as details are finalized,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada.
For Affected Customers
The airline will gradually suspend some of its scheduled flights between now and March 31 as demand for Canadians to return to Canada from a number of destinations reduces. Please check Air Canada’s website for details given the rapidly evolving situation.
Affected customers, including those with Air Canada Vacations packages, whose flights are cancelled will receive a full credit valid for 24 months. There is no requirement to contact Air Canada as customers will be contacted directly.
The airline has also put in place temporary, one-way fares to Canada to enable customers abroad to return home. Customers seeking to contact Air Canada are advised that contact centre wait times are elevated, so the airline has put in place a number of self-service tools to enable customers to manage their travel online. For more information please consult our COVID-19 webpage at www.aircanada.com.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline serving nearly 220 airports on six continents. Canada’s flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2019 served over 51 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 62 airports in Canada, 53 in the United States and 101 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,250 airports in 195 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2019 Best Airline in North America.
For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.