Air Canada will operate six special flights from Lima, Barcelona and Quito this week to enable Canadians stranded abroad to return home. The flights, operated in collaboration with the Government of Canada, are part of Air Canada's ongoing efforts to repatriate Canadians.
"Several hundred Canadians trapped in Peru, Ecuador and Spain since the imposition of restrictive travel measures by the authorities will finally be able to return home.
Air Canada remains fully mobilized dealing with this global health crisis and we have committed to keep operating internationally, transborder to the U.S. and across Canada to allow people to return to Canadian soil as quickly as possible and transport important shipments of goods, including emergency supplies. I thank all our employees for their ongoing commitment, particularly our crews which are directly working on these flights, to bring Canadians home safely," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.
Peru
Air Canada will operate three flights between Toronto and Lima. The first departure from Canada scheduled for March 24 will also take back Peruvians who wish to return home. Two other special flights from Lima to Toronto are currently scheduled for March 26 and 27. The flights will be operated by a wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft with 400 seats.
Ecuador
Flights from Quito to Toronto will begin March 25 on a wide-body Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767 with 281 seats.
Spain
On March 25, a flight will depart Barcelona for Montreal on a wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 297 seats.
Canadians abroad must register with Global Affairs Canada to obtain a seat on one of these special flights. Travellers are also strongly encouraged to contact the local Canadian Embassy or sos@international.gc.ca if urgent assistance is required.
More than 1,000 flights by the end of March
Despite a substantial reduction in its network, Air Canada continues to operate and bring home hundreds of thousands of travellers from around the world. Over the past week, Air Canada has brought more than 200,000 Canadians back on its scheduled international and transborder flights.
By the end of March, it plans to have operated more than 300 flights from international airports and more than 850 flights from U.S. airports. Air Canada has also announced that it intends to maintain a limited number of transborder and international flights from selected Canadian cities after April 1, 2020 to maintain a number of "air bridges" to facilitate essential travel and ensure the continued movement of emergency supplies and other vital goods.
Flights from Lima, Quito and Barcelona
Air Canada brings more than 200,000 Canadians home in one week
More than 1,000 scheduled flights planned through to the end of the month to repatriate Canadians