spokesperson on regina and Saskatoon International airports Tell Global News that they have not been informed that any regular flights will be affected as a result of air canada Wednesday Summer schedule cut announcement
Montreal-based Air Canada on Wednesday night announced plans to reduce flights by more than 15 percent during July and August aviation The industry as a whole struggle will revive the demand for travel. According to Air Canada, an average of 154 flights per day (77 round trips) will be removed from its schedule.
President and CEO of Regina International Airport James Boguszo That said, however, it doesn’t mean that Saskatchewan air travelers will emerge free of summer headaches.
“YQR has not yet been notified of any significant reductions by any major airline,” Bogus told Global News on Thursday morning.
“While we would expect some impact, of course, as airlines play catch-up and reduce capacity at major hubs. So, till now we have not been issued a new schedule.”
However, Bogus said the effects of Air Canada’s announcement are coming to the fore “in real time”.
“This does not mean that on the day of a flight that could have been scheduled, that it was not canceled or delayed because of these network issues,” he said.
“Today is a good example of this. We had some cancellations that were scheduled arrivals or departures that haven’t because of some of these challenges. If a plane is canceled or delayed outside Toronto it has an impact on cities like Regina “
Bogus said traffic at RIA, and the air travel industry as a whole, has experienced a “hockey stick-like” increase in demand over the past three months and that the industry is playing catch-up.
He said traffic has returned to 80 to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels in some days, and is consistently above 70 percent.COVID-19Whereas as recently as February, the traffic was around 30 per cent of the normal levels.
“The more major problem we are experiencing in Regina is bags not arriving with passengers,” he said, adding that he has heard of instances where baggage has been delayed for up to four days.
He said “many challenges” were contributing to the overcrowding, including staff shortages.
“The federal government is attempting to accelerate the recruitment of agents in both the Canada Border Services and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA),” he said.
“And there are many agencies that contribute to your travel experience, from security to airlines. It is a concert of quite a few individuals. Staffing issues have certainly been a part of the issue.”
He said he feels the remaining government COVID-19 measures are also having an effect.
“We are hearing that whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated, there are still some potential deterrents at the border,” he said, singling out the federal government’s ArrivCan app.
“We’ve heard that it’s causing some struggles to get used to and some delays for some people.”
The federal government announced Wednesday that it is extending the current COVID-19 limit measures for travelers entering Canada until at least 30 September, including the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app.
Travelers who have not been fully vaccinated will continue to be tested on the first and eighth days of their mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the pandemic was not over and everyone should continue to try to keep each other safe.
“As we have always said, Canada’s border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, guided by science and discretion,” Duclos said.
Bogusz said he is looking forward to a reconsideration.
“It’s these kinds of issues for people here that, even when people are fully vaccinated and prepared to travel, they can miss their connections when they’re listening, or get to where they want on time. In Toronto or Calgary, it deters people from traveling in the first place,” Bogus said.
Saskatoon International Airport Vice President of Business Development and Service Quality CJ Dushinsky commends the federal government Recent Verdict To end the vaccine order for domestic and outbound travel, but the remaining restrictions agreed are slowing efficiency.
“We’re certainly not experiencing it as much here because we’ve been pretty operationally consistent here, being able to move people through the process fairly efficiently,” she said.
“But in the past, those restrictions have certainly created some complex components for the already fragile ecosystem in which we operate, of course.”
As for what impact Air Canada’s announcement might have on flight costs, Dushinsky said it’s hard to say, but the drop in capacity combined with rising demand and skyrocketing fuel prices will go unnoticed by passengers.
“This all lends itself well to the fact that we can expect pricing to continue to increase.”
Bogusz and Dushinski offered the following tips for traveling as headache-free as possible this summer:
- If possible, take carry-on luggage only.
- If checking luggage, carry important things like medicine.
- Sign up for flight notifications via email or text message.
- Make sure you have an online account with whatever airline you’re flying with, and have their apps downloaded.
- Arrive early – Bogus suggests arriving at least 90 minutes before a domestic flight from YQR and three hours early if flying from a big hub like Toronto or Vancouver.
- Build flexibility into itineraries.
“It will pass. This is a temporary, short-term issue. It will all work out in the end. The question is how long it will take,” Bogus said.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.