Close X
Monday, January 13, 2025
ADVT 
National

PM Announces New Flights To Peru, Americas To Repatriate Stranded Canadians

The Canadian Press, 23 Mar, 2020 07:45 PM

    OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is announcing multiple new flights to bring stranded Canadians home from abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

     

    Trudeau says that will include three new Air Canada flights to bring Canadians back from Peru, which has otherwise closed its airspace.

     

    Trudeau says Air Transat, WestJet and Sunwing airlines all have flights planned this week.

     

    Two more Air Canada flights are to reach Canadians in Morocco in the coming days, he says.

     

    Trudeau says an Air Canada flight to Spain is also confirmed, while Air Transat has been cleared for two flights to Honduras and one each to Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala.

     

    The prime minister is urging all Canadians abroad to return home by commercial means while options are still available, and to register with the government so they can receive proper updates.

     

    "You need to do this if you haven't done it already," Trudeau said Monday in his daily press conference outside his Rideau Cottage residence in Ottawa.

     

    Earlier Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said it won't be possible for the government to repatriate all Canadians stranded abroad.

     

    In an interview with CBC's The Current, Champagne said the challenges the government faces are unprecedented with airport and airspace closures, border closures and the fact some countries have imposed martial law.

     

    Global Affairs Canada has had 10,000 calls and 14,000 emails in the last 48 hours, he said.

     

    Champagne told the radio program the government will try to help support stranded Canadians locally through diplomatic channels.

     

    Champagne said he had to negotiate for air access to Peru despite the fact the country is closed, and it is controlled by the military.

     

    "My job is to negotiate on a case-by-case basis where we have a cluster of Canadians, and where Canadians can gather in one place," he said.

     

    "Sometime, getting the plane is Step 1, and the easiest one. Then it's to make sure we land there, make sure we can have safe passage for our crew, safe passage for Canadians who want to return home."

     

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Man Allegedly Exposed Himself To Woman In Burnaby, Police Release A Composite Sketch Of The Suspect

    Police are releasing a composite sketch of the suspect in the hopes that someone in the community is able to identify him to further the investigation.    

    Man Allegedly Exposed Himself To Woman In Burnaby, Police Release A Composite Sketch Of The Suspect

    Assault Outside Vancouver Pub; Man Left With Life-Threatening Injuries, Vancouver Police Looking For Witnesses

    Vancouver Police are seeking witnesses to an assault last week on West Broadway that has left one man in hospital with life-threatening injuries.

    Assault Outside Vancouver Pub; Man Left With Life-Threatening Injuries, Vancouver Police Looking For Witnesses

    A 4-Lane Pattullo Bridge & An 8-Lane Massey Tunnel - WATCH Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claire Trevana’s Interview

    Darpan Magazine sat down with the Hon. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena on what the future of transportation looks like

    A 4-Lane Pattullo Bridge & An 8-Lane Massey Tunnel - WATCH Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claire Trevana’s Interview

    B.C. Patients Served More Local Food Than Ever Before

    Provincial health-care facilities are working hard to serve patients and residents more local food, supporting farmers, fishers, ranchers and processors, and connecting more people with food from B.C. communities.

    B.C. Patients Served More Local Food Than Ever Before

    Inuit Concerned About Potential Spread Of COVID-19 In North

    The group says the Inuit must be considered in government responses because of the potential compounding threat to basic health and well-being in those communities.

    Inuit Concerned About Potential Spread Of COVID-19 In North

    Morneau Says Ottawa Will Announce Support For Those Quarantined Due To COVID-19

    TORONTO - The federal government is preparing to undertake measures designed to protect Canadians and the country’s economy from the outbreak of a novel form of coronavirus.

    Morneau Says Ottawa Will Announce Support For Those Quarantined Due To COVID-19