Neither Air Canada nor WestJet will resume flights in May as planned
by the El Reportero’s wire services
April 14, 2021 – Two Canadian airlines have extended their suspension of flights to Mexico. WestJet announced Tuesday it was extending its suspension of flights to destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean until June 4, while Air Canada said it wouldn’t take passengers to sun destinations in May as had been planned.
“We are extending our suspension with the clear expectation that as more Canadians are vaccinated, government policy will transition,” WestJet president and CEO Ed Sims said. “… Alongside an accelerated and successful vaccine rollout, this policy transition will support the safe restart of travel and help stimulate the Canadian economy, where one in 10 jobs are tourism related.”
WestJet, Canada’s second biggest airline after Air Canada, is one of four carriers that suspended flights to sun destinations at the request of the Canadian government. The suspension took effect Jan 31 and was to conclude April 30. According to Air Canada’s upcoming schedule, flights from Toronto and Vancouver to Mexico City will begin in the first week of May and services between
Montreal and the Mexican capital will begin May 10. But spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told the website Travel Pulse Canada on Wednesday that the airline won’t operate passenger services to Mexico and other sun destinations in May. “Air Canada will extend its suspension of sun flying throughout May. We will continue to operate some flights to Mexico City, Barbados, and Kings
ton, but these would not carry passengers south. Instead, they will provide essential services, for example carrying cargo and in some cases on northbound flights, temporary foreign workers and Canadians currently abroad,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our network as appropriate, as well as work with the government to develop a safe reopening plan and restore travel.”
Air Transat, one of the other Canadian airlines that suspended flights to Mexico, has announced it will resume services on June 14. Sunwing, which also agreed to the January-April suspension, said earlier this month that all flights to sun destinations would remain suspended until June 23. (Mexico News Daily)
