Air Canada pleads with Trudeau for plan to ease travel rules

Flush with bailout funds, Air Canada called on the government of its home country to lay out a plan for reopening borders as vaccination progresses. Canada’s biggest air carrier is in a position to ramp up operations after reaching a deal for nearly C$5.9b ($4.8b) in debt and equity with the federal government last month. CEO Michael Rousseau said it’s now “essential” for officials to follow the US in easing rules that have stopped most air travel. “Starting with replacing blanket restrictions with science-based testing and limited quarantine measures where appropriate, Canada can reopen and safely ease travel restrictions as vaccination programs roll out,” Rousseau said in a statement accompanying Q1 results. “We have seen elsewhere, notably in the US, that travel rebounds sharply as Covid-19 recedes and restrictions are lifted, and we fully expect this can be replicated in Canada,” Rousseau said. Air Canada says there’s pent-up demand for both leisure and business travel. Conversations with corporate clients suggest a recovery will start in September, Rousseau said.<br/>