Air Canada Cuts More Flights Due to Fuel Costs

Rising fuel costs have led Air Canada to cut four more flights, after announcing it will temporarily suspend service from Toronto and Montreal to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport beginning June 1 through October 25.

Air Canada will still offer 34 daily flights between Canada and LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

The additional cut routes are:

• Yellowknife to Toronto will end Aug. 30
• Flights between Fort McMurray and Vancouver will end May 28
• Salt Lake City to Toronto flights will pause starting June 30, and are expected to restart in 2027
• A planned route from Guadalajara to Montreal has been cancelled

In a statement to CBC News, an airline spokesperson said “As jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict and some lower profitability routes and flights are no longer economic, we are making schedule adjustments accordingly.”

Last week, industry experts sounded the alarm that Europe in particular has about six weeks left of jet fuel before they run out, with the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol calling it the largest energy crises the world has faced.

In a release on Friday (April 17) the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called its assessment of potential jet fuel shortages “sobering”.

“We have also estimated that by the end of May we could start to see some cancellations in Europe for lack of jet fuel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “This is already happening in parts of Asia. Along with doing everything possible to secure alternative supply lines, it’s important that authorities have well-communicated and well-coordinated plans in place in case rationing becomes necessary, including for slot relief.”