Air Canada may redeploy some American flights if Canadian travellers avoid U.S.

Air Canada may reduce flights to certain U.S. destinations later this year if demand from travellers begins to lag, as the airline acknowledged Friday it is coping with uncertainty from the current economic environment, including the threat of tariffs. The Montreal-based carrier is preparing in case customers decide to fly south of the border less often in 2025, said executive vice-president of revenue and network planning Mark Galardo. But he cautioned that hasn’t yet been the case, with January booking trends aligning with the company’s expectations. “We are anticipating proactively that there could be a slowdown,” Galardo told analysts on a conference call, as the airline reported its fourth-quarter earnings. “In the U.S., we don’t see any major slowdown or anything substantial that would change our view of the market. That being said, if we could de-risk this a little bit and be a bit proactive and move capacity into other sectors we see strength in, I think that’s the right move right now in this context.” Galardo said leisure destinations such as Florida, Las Vegas and Arizona could be affected if Canadians pull back on travel plans to the U.S.<br/>