Air Canada Supports Economic Recovery as the Country’s Leading Carrier, Serving 50 Cities Across Canada to Enable Canadians to Conveniently Connect

• Most extensive domestic schedule supports Canada’s tourism and hospitality sector
• Includes three new routes, re-established routes plus Air Canada Signature Class and Premium Economy Class cabins on select transcontinental routes
• New refund policy gives additional peace of mind

MONTREAL, June 15, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada’s domestic peak summer schedule beginning at the end of June has been developed to advance the country’s economic recovery and support Canada’s tourism and hospitality businesses during the important summer period.  Three new domestic Canada routes, service to 50 Canadian airports, the re-establishment of select regional routes, and wide-body aircraft featuring Air Canada Signature Class and Premium Economy Class on select transcontinental routes are included. Seats with attractive pricing in all cabins are available for purchase now at aircanada.com, via the Air Canada App, Air Canada’s Contact Centres and travel agencies.

“With Canada’s ongoing vaccine roll-out acceleration together with various provincial governments’ reopening plans that include travel, this summer is looking brighter. As customers are ready to travel, Air Canada is taking a leadership position to support our partners in Canada’s tourism and hospitality sector with service to 50 destinations from coast to coast, the re-start of regional services and new, non-stop flights,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada.

“We are especially proud that our new state-of-the-art, Canadian-manufactured Airbus A220 aircraft will be operating across Canada. With our industry-leading CleanCare+ bio-safety protocols, promotional fares including for our premium cabins, compelling Aeroplan opportunities, and our new refund policy offering additional peace of mind, customers can book Air Canada with confidence.  We look forward to welcoming you onboard when you’re ready to fly,” concluded Mr. Galardo.

Air Canada’s new refund policy provides customers an option for a refund to the original form of payment in instances where Air Canada cancels their flight or reschedules the departure time by more than three hours, irrespective of the reason. Air Canada customers will also have the option of accepting an Air Canada Travel Voucher or Aeroplan points with a 65% bonus.  Normal fare rules will apply when customers make voluntary changes to non-affected flights.

New route details:

Route	Frequency	Aircraft	Effective
Montreal-Deer Lake	Daily	CRJ900	Jul 1, 2021
Montreal-Kelowna	3x Weekly July4x Weekly Aug	Airbus A220	June 26, 2021
Montreal-Saskatoon-Regina	Daily	CRJ900	Aug 1, 2021

Resumption of services:

Airport Station	Route		Effective	Frequency
Gander	Gander – Halifax		Jun 29	3x Weekly
Gander – Toronto		Jul 2	5x Weekly
St. John’s	St. John’s – Toronto		Jun 19	Daily
Goose Bay	Goose Bay – St. John’s		Jun 29	3x Weekly
Deer Lake	Deer Lake – Halifax		Aug 1	5x Weekly
Halifax	Halifax – Calgary		Aug 1	5x Weekly
Sydney	Sydney – Toronto		Jun 26	3x Weekly
Sydney – Montreal		Aug 1	Daily
Charlottetown	Charlottetown – Toronto		Jun 18	4x Weekly
Saint John	Saint John – Montreal		Jun 30	3x Weekly
Saint John – Toronto		Jul 2	4x Weekly
Fredericton	Fredericton – Montreal		Jun 29	Daily
Fredericton – Toronto		Jul 1	5x Weekly
Bathurst	Bathurst – Montreal		Jun 27	3x Weekly
Quebec City	Quebec City – Toronto		Jun 19	1x Daily
Ottawa	Ottawa – Calgary		Jul 2	Daily
Ottawa – Edmonton		Aug 1	2x Weekly
North Bay	North Bay – Toronto		Jun 28	3x Weekly
Fort McMurray	Fort McMurray – Toronto		July 1	2x Weekly
Winnipeg	Winnipeg – Calgary		Jun 20	6x weekly
Winnipeg – Montreal		Aug 1	Daily
Regina	Regina – Calgary		Jul 1	5x Weekly
Saskatoon	Saskatoon – Calgary		Jul 2	5x Weekly
Kamloops	Kamloops – Vancouver		Jun 29	4x Weekly
Kamloops – Calgary		Jun 28	4x Weekly
Comox	Comox – Vancouver		Jun 30	3x Weekly
Nanaimo	Nanaimo – Toronto		Jul 4	1x Weekly
Nanaimo – Calgary		Jul 2	5x weekly
Prince Rupert	Prince Rupert – Vancouver		Jun 25	3x Weekly
Penticton	Penticton – Vancouver		Jun 29	4x Weekly
Sandspit	Sandspit – Vancouver		Jun 23	3x Weekly
Victoria	Montreal – Victoria		Jun 19	3x Weekly
Toronto – Victoria		Jun 19	4x Weekly
Calgary – Victoria		Jun 21	4x Weekly
Castlegar	Castlegar – Vancouver		Jun 28	3x Weekly
Kelowna	Kelowna Toronto		Jun 18	4x Weekly
Yellowknife	Yellowknife – Calgary		Jun 30	3x Weekly

Air Canada is also providing connectivity to five additional regional communities through interline agreements with third party regional carriers: Wabush, Baie Comeau, Gaspe, Mont Joli, and Val d’Or.

Air Canada’s commercial schedule may be adjusted as required based on the COVID-19 trajectory and government restrictions.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline, and in 2020 was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. It is Canada’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax. In 2020, Air Canada was named Global Traveler’s Best Airline in North America for the second straight year. In January 2021, Air Canada received APEX’s Diamond Status Certification for the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosafety program for managing COVID-19, the only airline in Canada to attain the highest APEX ranking. Air Canada has also committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050.

Sunwing announces convenient weekly flights from Regina and Saskatoon this winter

TORONTO, June 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Residents of Saskatchewan will have two departure gateways to choose from this winter, as Sunwing has announced it will be offering convenient weekly flights from both Regina International Airport and Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport. Flights will begin operating in December, just in time for residents looking to head down south for the holidays, and will operate until mid-April 2022.

“We look forward to resuming service from Saskatchewan this winter,” commented Andrew Dawson, President of Tour Operations for Sunwing. “With convenient flights from two regional airports across the province, residents can visit the most popular tropical destinations with ease under our wing.”

The flight schedule from Regina will be as follows:

• Between Regina and Cancun, Mondays and Saturdays from December 11, 2021 until April 11, 2022
• Between Regina and Puerto Vallarta, Fridays and Sundays from December 10, 2021 until April 10, 2022
• Between Regina and Los Cabos, Thursdays from December 16, 2021 until April 14, 2022
• Between Regina and Mazatlán, Fridays from December 17, 2021 until April 8, 2022
• Between Regina and Punta Cana, Wednesdays from December 15, 2021 until April 13, 2022
• Between Regina and Varadero, Tuesdays from December 14, 2021 until April 12, 2022

The flight schedule from Saskatoon will be as follows:

• Between Saskatoon and Cancun, Mondays and Saturdays from December 11, 2021 until April 11, 2022
• Between Saskatoon and Puerto Vallarta, Fridays and Sundays from December 10, 2021 until April 10, 2022
• Between Saskatoon and Los Cabos, Thursdays from December 16, 2021 until April 14, 2022
• Between Saskatoon and Mazatlán, Fridays from December 17, 2021 until April 8, 2022
• Between Saskatoon and Punta Cana, Wednesdays from December 15, 2021 until April 13, 2022
• Between Saskatoon and Varadero, Tuesdays from December 14, 2021 until April 12, 2022
• Between Saskatoon and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Thursdays from December 9, 2021 until April 7, 2022

“After a long and hard winter, we’re sure that plenty of Regina residents are looking forward to heading back to the tropics,” said James Bogusz, President and CEO at Regina International Airport. “We have a long and successful partnership with Sunwing and we’re sure their winter service will be well received.”

Stephen Maybury, CEO of Saskatoon International Airport, also commented on the news. “With a return to travel on the horizon, we’re thrilled to welcome Sunwing back to Saskatoon for the 2021-2022 winter season. Our community has been anxiously awaiting the return of sun travel and will be excited to have Sunwing back with seasonal flights to many familiar sun destinations.”

Customers can choose from a range of resorts and vacation packages for every travel style. Grand Memories Varadero offers something for everyone, from sparkling pools to water sports and a kids club. Those planning an adults only getaway will love Platinum Yucatan Princess All Suites Resort & Spa, featuring an amazing spa and swim-out suites. Travellers can take their budget even further at Riu Jalisco in Riviera Nayarit with exclusive RIU®-topia inclusions for Sunwing guests like unlimited reservation-free dining.

About Sunwing

The largest integrated travel company in North America, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from airports across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations as well as cruise packages and seasonal domestic flight service. Sunwing customers benefit from the assistance of the company’s own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. The company supports the communities where it operates through the Sunwing Foundation, a charitable initiative focused on the support and development of youth and humanitarian aid.

Flair Airlines Extends Domestic Schedule into 2022

The growing ULCC has released its Winter 2021/22 schedule for sale with fares starting from as low as $19

Edmonton, Alberta, May 27, 2021 – Flair Airlines, Canada’s only independent ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), has expanded its schedule with flights to domestic destinations now on sale until March 2022.  With 24 routes and over 650,000 seats on sale, Winter 2021/22 will be Flair’s biggest ever winter schedule.

The winter schedule is part of Flair’s expansion of service to bring low fare air travel to more Canadians. The airline has 13 new aircraft on order joining the fleet in 2021 and 2022.

“We understand how keen Canadians are to travel again and our winter schedule will provide affordable air travel options to help connect the many families and friends who have been apart for the past year,” says Garth Lund, Chief Commercial Officer. “With fares available from as low as $19 and new aircraft joining the fleet, Flair will continue its expansion into the winter season.”

Bookings are now available for travel through March 26, 2022.

https://flyflair.com/where-we-fly

WestJet leads domestic recovery with the addition of 11 new routes

---

Airline’s investments in Western Canada support travel and tourism in anticipation of summer demand 

CALGARY, AB, March 26, 2021 /CNW/ – WestJet today announced 11 new domestic routes across Western Canada. The routes will offer new nonstop service for 15 communities across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. The enhancements follow an announcement made earlier in the week to return previously suspended service to Atlantic Canada and Quebec City.  

A message from WestJet President and CEO Ed Sims, on the airline’s commitment to Canada’s safe restart 

“As we look to the coming months with cautious optimism, we know our restart agenda will be pivotal to Canada’s economic recovery,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “Stimulating air travel benefits all Canadians and supports those hardest hit; with one in every 10 Canadian jobs tied to travel and tourism, the ripple effect benefits our whole country.”  

The new routes include service between Toronto (YYZ) and Comox (YQQ); between Ottawa (YOW) and Victoria (YYJ) and eight new routes connecting the prairie provinces to British Columbia tourism destinations, such as Regina (YQR) to Kelowna (YLW). Full schedule details and start dates are outlined below. 

“We are at an inflection point; one that is buoyed by the rollout of vaccines, months of learning how to take appropriate precautions, and a view to Canada’s beautiful summer months that allows us to spend more time outdoors,” continued Sims. “If Canadians were to shift two-thirds of their planned international-leisure travel spend towards domestic tourism, it would help sustain 150,000 jobs and accelerate recovery by one year, all while seeing what Canada has to offer.” 

New routes: 

Route	Frequency	Effective from
Toronto – Fort McMurray	2x weekly (Wed, Sun)	June 6, 2021
Kelowna – Saskatoon	2x weekly (Thu, Sun)	June 24, 2021
Kelowna – Regina	2x weekly (Thu, Sun)	June 24, 2021
Saskatoon – Victoria	2x weekly (Thu, Sun)	June 24, 2021
Winnipeg – Victoria	3x weekly (Thu, Sat, Sun)	June 24, 2021
Edmonton – Kamloops	2x weekly (Thu, Sun)	June 24, 2021
Edmonton – Penticton	2x weekly (Thu, Sun)	June 24, 2021
Edmonton – Nanaimo	2x weekly (Fri, Sun)	June 25, 2021
Prince George – Abbotsford	2x weekly (Fri, Sun)	June 25, 2021
Ottawa – Victoria	1x weekly (Sat)	June 26, 2021
Toronto – Comox	1x weekly (Sat)	June 26, 2021

About WestJet 

In 25 years of serving Canadians, WestJet has cut airfares in half and increased the flying population in Canada to more than 50 per cent. WestJet launched in 1996 with three aircraft, 250 employees and five destinations, growing over the years to more than 180 aircraft, 14,000 employees and more than 100 destinations in 23 countries, pre-pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America as named by Cirium.

For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com. 

Air Canada adds triangle route between Regina, Montreal, Saskatoon

From CBC News – link to source story

The new flight will begin on June 25 and end on Sept. 26

Alexander Quon · CBC News · Mar 20, 2021

An Air Canada flight from Mexico City arrives at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Friday, March 20, 2020. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

A new flight is coming to the beleaguered airports of Saskatoon and Regina. 

James Bogusz, president and CEO of the Regina Airport Authority, has confirmed that Air Canada will introduce a route between Regina and Montreal as part of its summer service plan. 

It’s the first time there will be a flight between the two locations in the history of the Regina Airport, Bogusz said. 

The nonstop route from Regina and Montreal will make a stop in Saskatoon on its way back, making it a triangle route between the three cities. 

“We’re hopeful this is a start of better things to come in the future,” said Bogusz. 

In an interview with CBC on Friday, Bogusz said they’ve been attempting to market a flight between Regina and Montreal to Air Canada for at least two-and-a-half years. 

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a dramatic shake-up of the industry, Bogusz said that it appears Air Canada is open to taking a little more risk by trying something new.

“We think it’s going to be a winner for them. Obviously, it has to be a winner once there’s more, you know, passengers traveling generally. But we think it’s going to be a great opportunity for summer service,” he said. 

The new flight will begin on June 25 and operate until Sept. 26. 

Bogusz said he is thrilled with the new flight and added that he thinks it’ll be the start of a “snowball effect” for the authority, which typically contributes more than $800 million into the local economy. 

“Our air service has been so devastated and we’ve had so few flights for so many months, you know, our contribution to the economy has become much less substantial,” Bogusz said. 

The Regina and Saskatoon airports have been hard hit by the pandemic and its effect on air travel. 

Both recently lost their designations as international airports after changes by Transport Canada. Although both airports have applied to be reinstated, their future status remains undetermined. 

Air traffic controllers in Regina were laid off last month amid a service review at the airport, which was looking at whether it was necessary to keep the control tower. 

Bogusz said at the time that the layoffs were a good indication that NAV Canada, the company that runs the tower, had intentions to close the control tower. 

Regina, Saskatoon airports could lose international designation

From CTV News – link to source story and video

Brendan Ellis, CTV News Regina.ca Digital Content Producer | March 15, 2021

REGINA — Regina and Saskatoon’s airports could lose their international designation, according to documents released by Transport Canada.

The Regina International Airport sign is seen in this file image. (Gareth Dillistone/CTV News)

In an Advisory Circular effective Jan. 26, Transport Canada listed all Canadian airports that will continue to hold the international designation. Regina and Saskatoon were not included on that list.

“Airports not listed above having the term ‘International’ or ‘INTL’ published in the header information of the aeronautical products must demonstrate to the Regional TCCA office, no later than June 30, 2021, that they meet the requirements for designation as stated in this AC to maintain their publication as such,” the Transport Canada advisory states.

Regina Airport Authority President and CEO James Bogusz confirmed the move to CTV News on Monday morning.

“As it sits today, ourselves, Saskatoon and a number of other Canadian airports have had their international designation removed as part of this announcement,” Bogusz said.

Bogusz said that while the airports will continue to be able to receive cross border flights from the United States, the status of flights from other international destinations is unclear.

“A big part of our flying in the winter is to international destinations such as Mexico, Cuba, Caribbean,” Bogusz said. “But we have not received confirmation of [how] those types of flights will be impacted in the future.”

With both Regina and Saskatoon losing the international designation, that would leave the province without an international airport, and without one in its capital city.

However, it is possible for the decision to be changed. Bogusz said the Regina airport is in the process of trying to regain international status.

“We’re basically working through the steps, which primarily is reaching out to other agencies, like Canada Border Services, the Public Health Agency of Canada and a number of others, to confirm that we meet all their requirements to be an international airport,” Bogusz said. “That work is underway as we speak.”

Airports must make their case to Transport Canada by the end of June.

“If an airport is not on this list but is of the opinion that it meets all of the requirements for designation as “International” that airport should make a request for approval to TCCA in accordance with the criteria in this document no later than June 30, 2021,” the advisory states.

Andrew Leeming, a VP with Skyxe, said they do not believe Saskatoon’s airport will lose international status.

“In reviewing the criteria, the Saskatoon Airport Authority does not anticipate any change in the International designation as the main requirements are already met,” said Leeming in an email.  

International flights are not currently flying into Regina due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Bogusz says losing those flights in the future would impact the airport’s pandemic recovery.

“We want to make sure our airport can get back up to full strength and the international designation is certainty a component of that, and we are going to push hard to make sure we recover that,” Bogusz said.

Regina Wascana MP Michael Kram voiced his concerns about the move in a release Monday, calling it a “blow to Saskatchewan air transportation infrastructure.”

“The term ‘international’ is not just an honourary title. It’s a global classification system that airlines use to determine where they direct flights. The loss of this designation may mean that charter flights and the few direct international flights still coming into Regina may be redirected to other centres,” Kram said, in a statement.

“The one ray of hope is that there is an appeal process for airports to reclaim their status. I will continue to consult with the executive of the Regina Airport and fight for their interests on the committee.”

Transwest Air dealing with 3 unplanned landings in 2-month span on medevac flights in northern Sask.

From CBC News – link to source story

CEO says the 3 incidents are not related

Dan Zakreski · CBC News · Mar 02, 2021

A Transwest Air plane sits at the Prince Albert Airport in a 2015 file photo. (Transwest Air)

Transwest Air has confirmed that three medevac flights in northern Saskatchewan over the past two months have been forced to make unplanned landings.

The twin-engine Beech King Air planes involved are operated by Transwest Air. On March 1, Transwest Air merged with West Wind Aviation to become Rise Air.

The most recent incident happened on Feb. 27.

Transwest Air said in a news release that at about 12:24 p.m. CST, flight dispatch received a radio call from the crew on a flight from Stony Rapids, near the border with the Northwest Territories, to Saskatoon, about 800 kilometres to the south.

Transwest president and CEO Derek Nice, who is now president of Rise Air, said the crew noticed strange readings coming from one of the two engines. There were two crew members, the patient and two EMS workers aboard, he said. 

The plane landed safely in Prince Albert.

The other two incidents are detailed in reports to Transport Canada. Both happened on medevac flights between the northern communities of Wollaston Lake and La Ronge.

The more serious of the two happened on Jan. 3.

“Prior to descent, the left hand engine produced multiple loud bangs and vibrations, and large flames exited the engine exhaust,” said the summary in the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report System (CADORS) report.

“The left engine torque and oil pressure indications dropped to zero. The left propeller moved to the feather position and stopped abruptly. The flight crew carried out the engine shutdown checklist and declared an emergency.”

The plane landed safely and there were no injuries.

Another emergency landing happened on Jan. 23 when one of the engines began inexplicably surging on descent. The crew declared an emergency and landed safely, according to the CADORS report.

John Williams is an aviation expert in Toronto who worked for Transport Canada prior until his retirement.

The Beech King Air planes use Pratt & Whitney engines, which Williams describes as “extremely reliable,” so he said the unplanned landings are concerning.

“Three events of an engine nature, with this kind of engine, it would be pretty rare,” he said.

“Transport Canada will be looking at this situation and saying, ‘Is this an unusual number of occurrences in a short period of time? Is it indicative of something, or is it just purely the odds?’ “

• Precautionary engine shutdown on northern Sask. medevac flight forces early landing

Nice said the company’s assessment at this point is that there is no common thread linking the three incidents.

“These three incidents were all driven by unrelated events, or unrelated issues, so they’re not necessarily indicative of a trend,” he said.

Nice said the engine that caught fire in early January has since been replaced and the engine that surged on descent later the same month has had a component replaced and is performing as expected. Both aircraft are back in the air.

Work is still being done to figure out what happened on the most recent flight. That aircraft is staying on the ground, Nice said.

He said the company will always take the most cautious approach.

“Transport Canada audits our processes and policies, and they audit to ensure that we are reacting, or following up on issues, that we’re being proactive managing our safety programs,” he said.

“I think they’re satisfied we’re doing that.”

Precautionary engine shutdown on northern Sask. medevac flight forces early landing

From CBC News – link to source story

Patient was being transported from Stony Rapids to Saskatoon when the plane had to land at Prince Albert

CBC News · Feb 27, 2021

A Transwest Air plane sits at the Prince Albert Airport in a 2015 file photo. A Transwest Air medevac plane had to make an unscheduled landing in Prince Albert on Saturday. (Transwest Air)

Abnormal engine readings led to a medevac flight transporting a patient making an unscheduled landing on Saturday, according to the airline operating the flight.

Transwest Air said in a news release that at about 12:24 p.m. CST, flight dispatch received a radio call from the crew on a flight from Stony Rapids, near the border with the Northwest Territories, to Saskatoon, about 800 kilometres to the south.

Transwest president and CEO Derek Nice said the crew noticed strange readings coming from one of the two engines. There were two crew members, the patient and two EMS workers aboard, he said. 

“The crew decided to initiate the shutdown as a result of the readings that we were getting from the engine. So the engine is now being investigated by our maintenance,” Nice said in an interview.

“We’ll understand a little bit better about what the cause of the of the readings was shortly.” 

The crew landed the plane without incident at 12:35 p.m. CST in Prince Albert. No one was injured, and the patient was taken the remaining way to Saskatoon by ambulance. 

The Transportation Safety Board and Transport Canada were both informed of the incident. Nice said Transwest has also initiated a “safety management system” investigation. 

“We use that to identify what the root causes of the problem are and if it is appropriate, we will inspect all other engines as well,” Nice said. “We’ll take whatever action we need to as a result of that investigation.”

Nice said he isn’t sure how common precautionary engine shutdowns like this are in the industry but said they take an abundance of caution while in flight. 

With files from Heidi Atter

Saskatoon International Airport ‘decimated’ by COVID-19 pandemic

From Global News – link to source story

By David Giles  Global News | February 1, 2021

Skyxe says Saskatoon International Airport is currently handling five to 10 flights daily when it would normally handle 30 to 40 flights per day. Les Knight / Global News

Stephen Maybury said 2020 was a year like no other for Skyxe Saskatoon Airport.

Maybury, president and CEO of Skyxe, said the airport was well-positioned for growth heading into the new year. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March.

“Our revenues were decimated by passengers,” Maybury said.

Revenue dropped 98 per cent at one point, he said. And in the most recent data for December, passenger numbers are down 86 per cent relative to pre-COVID monthly numbers.

Maybury said Saskatoon International Airport is currently handling five to 10 flights daily. Prior to the pandemic, he said flight volumes were 30 to 40 flights per day.

The drop in traffic is impacting the airport’s bottom line. He said the drop in passengers translates into a forecasted loss of around $2 million to $2.5 million for the year, and the shortfall has to be funded with new and accumulating debt.

A similar situation is being faced by Regina International Airport, where passenger levels are at 30 per cent of the airport’s normal level, James Bogusz told Global News last month.

“We have made our cuts already. We have really reduced down to a relatively bare-bones operation, making sure, though, we maintain levels of safety, security and all our regulatory obligations,” Bogusz said.

Maybury said what is needed is a plan to help airports facing a financial squeeze.

“It’s really a combination of all levels of government and our sector, quite frankly,” Maybury said.

“Given the deepening second wave crisis that we’re seeing right now, we’re in urgent need of targeted financial relief to bridge operating costs.”

Last fall, the federal government stated $65 million is earmarked for airport authorities across the country to assist with the “financial implications of reduced air travel.”

Transport Canada has not provided a timeline as to when those funds will be allocated.

Maybury said another factor to help airports recover is restoring air connectivity.

“And that’s to safely welcome the passengers back,” he said.

“The way that we have done it in Saskatoon is ensuring that the new practices that we are implementing in the airport are following global pre-eminence standards.”

Skyxe has implemented a number of contactless and sanitized processes for travellers at the airport, including self-serve bag drops, partitioned passenger flows and ultra-violet sanitization.

“That means, for example, when you come to our departure area, we leverage self-service backdrops and no-contact kiosks so you can literally drop your bag off with no contact points through there, as well as technologies such as ultraviolet handrail — sanitization processes to make sure all touchpoints are as health-based and safety-based as is possible,” Maybury said.

He added that despite travel uncertainty and restrictions, the airport remains open.

“We are dedicated to supporting Canada’s economic recovery by continuing to move cargo through our airport and ensure that local air ambulance and STARS organizations can continue to provide life-saving services.”

— With files from Allison Bamford.

© 2021 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Temperature screening for air travellers expanded to 11 additional Canadian airports

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 29, 2020 /CNW/ – The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis that is having a significant impact on the air industry and Canadian travellers. As we continue to take steps to strengthen Canada’s air transportation network, the Government of Canada continues to implement a multi-layered framework of measures to protect Canadians, and help prevent air travel from being a source for the spread of the virus.

The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, has announced implementation of temperature screening for travellers at 11 additional Canadian airports. In June 2020, the Government of Canada announced a multi-phased approach to temperature screenings for all passengers travelling to Canada and travellers departing some Canadian airports, for either international or domestic destinations.

Temperature screening stations have been in place since July 30, 2020 at the four largest airports in Canada:  Montréal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. This includes temperature screening for both departing passengers as well as non-passengers (e.g., airport workers, flight crews).  

Since September 23, 2020, temperature screening is being conducted at these additional Canadian airports: St. John’s, Halifax, Québec City, Ottawa, Toronto – Billy Bishop, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Kelowna and Victoria. In addition, all employees and personnel that enter or work in the restricted area of these airports are subject to temperature screening procedures by Canadian Air Transport Security Authority personnel.

More and more Canadians and travellers are understanding the importance of staying home when feeling ill, as well as following other important safety measures such as good hygiene practices and wearing face coverings or non-medical masks during their travel.

All passengers who have an elevated temperature and do not have a medical certificate to explain a medical or physical condition that would result in an elevated temperature, are not permitted to continue their travel and are asked to re-book after 14 days.

Quote

“As Minister of Transport, my highest priority is the safety and security of Canadians and the transportation system. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canadians have come together, made sacrifices, and done their part to help limit the spread of the virus. Our Government has expanded temperature screenings to major airports across the country to support these efforts and as another measure in our multi-layered approach to help protect the safety of the travelling public and air industry workers. The collective efforts of all Canadians have helped us during the pandemic, and will continue to do so as we move forward.”

Minister of Transport
The Honourable Marc Garneau

Quick Facts

• Airport temperature screening has been endorsed by the International Air Transport Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
• For international flights to Canada, air operators must conduct temperature screenings at the point of departure, unless the local authority has an equivalent measure in place, in addition to the existing required health check questions for symptoms prior to boarding.
• Within Canada, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority screeners are conducting the temperature screening of passengers as part of departure screening procedures. This is in addition to the health screening questions and the requirement to wear face coverings that already exist for all passengers.

Associated Links

• Backgrounder – Temperature Screening For Air Travel
• COVID-19 measures, updates, and guidance issued by Transport Canada