WestJet, Air Canada cancel flights as Omicron takes toll on sector
Canada's two biggest airlines are cutting thousands of flights as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge. WestJet Asaid Tuesday it will cancel 20% of its February flights, less than three weeks after announcing flight reductions of 15% for January. The move marks a response to "government barriers" amid the Omicron variant, which has also affected staffing levels, the Calgary-based airline said. "We continue to advocate for the elimination of cumbersome travel rules that are unnecessarily impacting Canadians and prolonging the recovery of the travel and tourism sector," CE Harry Taylor said. While Air Canada has not announced major flight consolidations, it has cancelled 15% of its flights in March and 11% in February -- 6,805 flights in total -- within the last two weeks alone, according to figures from airline data company Cirium. The Public Health Agency of Canada advised against non-essential trips abroad in mid-December. A requirement that international travellers quarantine until on-arrival molecular tests come back negative has further dissuaded visitors, the two carriers said in a statement along with Toronto's Pearson airport Monday.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2022-01-19/star/westjet-air-canada-cancel-flights-as-omicron-takes-toll-on-sector
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WestJet, Air Canada cancel flights as Omicron takes toll on sector
Canada's two biggest airlines are cutting thousands of flights as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge. WestJet Asaid Tuesday it will cancel 20% of its February flights, less than three weeks after announcing flight reductions of 15% for January. The move marks a response to "government barriers" amid the Omicron variant, which has also affected staffing levels, the Calgary-based airline said. "We continue to advocate for the elimination of cumbersome travel rules that are unnecessarily impacting Canadians and prolonging the recovery of the travel and tourism sector," CE Harry Taylor said. While Air Canada has not announced major flight consolidations, it has cancelled 15% of its flights in March and 11% in February -- 6,805 flights in total -- within the last two weeks alone, according to figures from airline data company Cirium. The Public Health Agency of Canada advised against non-essential trips abroad in mid-December. A requirement that international travellers quarantine until on-arrival molecular tests come back negative has further dissuaded visitors, the two carriers said in a statement along with Toronto's Pearson airport Monday.<br/>
