Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Air Canada lays off 1700 employees and reduces flight capacity by 25 percent

Darpan News Desk Air Canada, 13 Jan, 2021 07:51 PM
  • Air Canada lays off 1700 employees and reduces flight capacity by 25 percent

Air Canada announced today it is adjusting its network under its COVID-19 Mitigation and Recovery Plan by further reducing first quarter system capacity by an additional 25 per cent.

As a result of these system-wide changes, there will be a workforce reduction of approximately 1700 employees, in addition to the over 200 impacted employees at its Express carriers. The airline is working with its unions on mitigation programs.

“Since the implementation by the Federal and Provincial Governments of these increased travel restrictions and other measures, in addition to the existing quarantine requirements, we have seen an immediate impact to our close-in bookings and have made the difficult but necessary decision to further adjust our schedule and rationalize our transborder, Caribbean and domestic routes to better reflect expected demand and to reduce cash burn. We regret the impact these difficult decisions will have on our employees who have worked very hard during the pandemic looking after our customers, as well as on the affected communities,” said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada.

“While this is not the news we were hoping to announce this early into the year, we are nonetheless encouraged that Health Canada has already approved two vaccines and that the Government of Canada expects the vast majority of eligible Canadians to be vaccinated by September. We look forward to seeing our business start to return to normal and to bringing back some of our more than 20,000 employees currently on furlough and layoff,” concluded Ms. Guillemette.

Air Canada will be reducing approximately 25 per cent of its planned capacity for the balance of the first quarter of 2021. With this reduction, capacity in the first quarter of 2021 will be about 20 per cent of what Air Canada operated in the first quarter of 2019.

Air Canada will continue to evaluate and adjust its route network as required in response to the trajectory of the pandemic, government-imposed travel restrictions and quarantines, and to market and regulatory conditions.

Affected customers on all routes will be contacted by Air Canada and offered options, including refunds for eligible customers and alternative routings where available.

MORE National ARTICLES

Feds promise national daycare in spring budget

Feds promise national daycare in spring budget
As a start, the Liberals are proposing in their fiscal update to spend $420 million in grants and bursaries to help provinces and territories train and retain qualified early-childhood educators.

Feds promise national daycare in spring budget

Vancouver Police issue $2300 ticket to the party host over the weekend

Vancouver Police issue $2300 ticket to the party host over the weekend
Police responded to a condo building and found 16 people at a party in one unit. The party was dispersed and a $2,300 violation ticket was issued to the primary resident of the unit.

Vancouver Police issue $2300 ticket to the party host over the weekend

Federal Government records deficit of more than $381 billion in face of COVID19 pandemic

Federal Government records deficit of more than $381 billion in face of COVID19 pandemic
Freeland defends the federal government's record deficit of more than $381 billion as affordable and necessary, arguing the government would make a bigger mistake by spending too little than by spending too much.

Federal Government records deficit of more than $381 billion in face of COVID19 pandemic

Charges laid in arson investigation: Surrey RCMP

Charges laid in arson investigation: Surrey RCMP
Three individuals from inside the residence were rushed to an area hospital suffering from smoke inhalation, one of whom also suffered from injuries consistent with having been assaulted.

Charges laid in arson investigation: Surrey RCMP

Get on with gun-control measures, advocates say

Get on with gun-control measures, advocates say
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair has pledged new measures, including a buyback of recently outlawed firearms, stricter storage provisions and steps to control handguns.

Get on with gun-control measures, advocates say

B.C. health review finds vast Indigenous profiling

B.C. health review finds vast Indigenous profiling
She says the review also looked into the broader context of systemic racism affecting Indigenous Peoples and found it is widespread, including extensive profiling of patients based on stereotypes about addictions.

B.C. health review finds vast Indigenous profiling