CALGARY – WestJet Airlines Ltd suspends operations in four cities in Atlantic Canada and cuts service to others in the region as pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the airline industry
WestJet announced on Wednesday that it will indefinitely suspend routes to Fredericton, Moncton, NB, Sydney, NS, and Charlottetown, while cutting service to Halifax and St John’s, NL
The cuts eliminate more than 100 flights per week from November 2, and remove nearly 80% of WestJet’s seating capacity from the Atlantic region, WestJet said
« Lack of travel demand combined with national quarantines means we unfortunately can no longer maintain our entire Canadian service network, » CEO Ed Sims said in a video
« Since the start of the pandemic, we have made efforts to maintain essential air service to all of our national airports, but we are off the runway and have been forced to suspend service in the region without sector support »
The airline also announced on Wednesday that it would lay off 100 business and operations support workers, in addition to the 4,000 employees it has laid off since March
Reductions do not include airport staff at Atlantic airports affected due to previous restructuring
In 2019, West has carried an average of more than two million passengers per month Since the start of COVID-19 in March, it has carried a total of just over one million passengers, or about 7% of the number that he would usually carry during this period
The four Atlantic provinces continue to apply a travel « bubble » that requires a two-week quarantine for those arriving from outside the region
Canada, unlike its G7 counterparts, has chosen to suspend financial aid tailored to the airline sector, instead offering measures such as federal wage subsidies available in all sectors
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News from the world – CA – WestJet halts flights to Atlantic Canada and lays off staff
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
