Air Canada to suspend Rouge operations indefinitely, lay off 80 employees

Air Canada will pause all operations of its Rouge aircraft indefinitely and lay off 80 employees starting Feb. 8, the latest round of cuts at Canada's struggling airlines. The airline's announcement comes as Canadian carriers suspend all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean at the request of the federal government, a measure that is expected last until at least April 30. "We are again pausing our Rouge operations effective Feb. 8 as these flights are primarily operated by Rouge," Air Canada said. Rouge flights were suspended earlier in the pandemic, but were restarted in November ahead of the winter travel season. In January, Air Canada announced layoffs of around 1,700 employees, when the company saw a drop in bookings because of a new requirement that travellers entering Canada show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Air Canada said Rouge "remains a part of Air Canada's overall business strategy." Air Canada is still running flights to other parts of the world, including Europe and Asia, where they have contracts to operate cargo service.<br/>