Air Canada slashing routes out of Calgary in face of ongoing pilot shortage

Air Canada is slashing six major routes out of Calgary this winter, in part due to an industry-wide pilot shortage that the carrier says threatens its "overall operational stability." The country's biggest airline confirmed Wednesday it will no longer offer non-stop flights from Calgary to Ottawa, Halifax, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Cancun, or Frankfurt as of the end of October due to ongoing fleet and crew constraints. "The industry-wide shortage of regional pilots is expected to have a prolonged impact on Air Canada's regional network," said Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick in an email. "This has resulted in resource pressures as Air Canada has been required to operate certain routes with mainline aircraft that are normally served by its main regional partner." Fitzpatrick added the Montreal-based airline is also facing pressure due to supply chain challenges that are making it more difficult for the airline to obtain parts and complete airplane maintenance on time. "This has led to a review of the network schedule to ensure resources are deployed most efficiently and productively against these current, ongoing industry considerations," Fitzpatrick said. A pilot shortage has been brewing across the continent for several years due to a variety of factors including an aging workforce and the rapid proliferation of new discount airlines that are putting pressure on the labour supply.<br/>