Air Canada CFO says carrier seeing improved domestic bookings

Air Canada is seeing improved domestic bookings, but expects international flights to only pick up if governments relax travel restrictions introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus, the airline’s CFO said Tuesday. “I think you’re seeing across the industry improvements in bookings and certainly at Air Canada we’re seeing that as well,” CFO Michael Rousseau said. “But that’s focused primarily on domestic business, point to point within Canada.” Canada’s largest carrier, along with tourism groups, have asked PM Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government to relax restrictions, like requirements for a 14-day quarantine. Rousseau says he expects it will take at least three years to return to 2019 traffic levels before the pandemic even as the carrier accelerates retirements of older E190s, B767s and A319s. Nevertheless, he sees green shoots among domestic leisure flights, which are coming back first. He hopes business travel returns after the summer as corporate clients return to their offices. Rousseau said the desire to meet clients face-to-face, combined with Air Canada’s loyalty program, will help drive demand for business travel, despite companies’ current practice of working from home.<br/>