Canada isn't ruling out taking a stake in Canadian airlines: Leblanc

The Canadian government isn't ruling out the possibility of taking a stake in Canadian airlines, like WestJet and Air Canada, as ministers consider how to help the sector in its struggles amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic Leblanc confirmed the possibility during an interview airing Sunday. Solomon pointed out that in a bid to save their own airlines, Germany took at 20% stake in Lufthansa. When he asked Leblanc if Canada is considering taking such a step here, Leblanc said the government "is very much discussing that." "I know, my colleagues, [Transport Minister] Marc Garneau, and [Finance Minister] Chrystia Freeland, are looking at a whole series of options of what government support might look like for the sector. So we haven't made any decisions in that level of detail yet, but they're very much discussing that," Leblanc said of the action Germany took. Air Canada was partially owned by the government until 1989. WestJet was a publicly-traded company, but went private in a $5b deal last year. Air Canada had said in June that it would suspend service to 30 regional routes, which mainly impacted travellers in the Maritimes, Quebec and Saskatchewan. <br/>