'More than disappointing': Air Canada to stop direct flights to Calgary from Regina, Saskatoon
CBC
Saskatchewan residents looking to fly direct to Alberta's largest city will soon have one less airline with which to do so.
CBC News has confirmed that Air Canada will be cancelling direct flights from the Saskatoon and Regina airports to Calgary in mid-January.
"It is a bit disappointing for the airport and the community," said C.J. Dushinski, the Saskatoon Airport Authority's vice president of business development and service quality.
"It certainly limits the amount of options available for travellers that are looking to get to Calgary or looking to travel beyond the connect."
Dushinski and Justin Reves, the Regina airport's manager of customer experience and marketing, told CBC News that Air Canada informed their respective airports that direct service to Calgary will end Jan. 16.
The Saskatoon airport authority hopes the airline will add additional seats to other hubs, such as Toronto and Vancouver, and that WestJet will add seats or service to Calgary, Dushinski said.
The Regina airport has contacted other airlines, including WestJet, about potential service, Reves said.
"Calgary is a huge market for the city of Regina," he said.
"A lot of people, friends, family, business connections [are] there, and it's primarily going to be disappointing for Air Canada customers who are used to being able to fly that route."
Air Canada only offered one direct flight per day from Regina to Calgary, he added, in comparison with West Jet, which currently runs several flights daily.
People flying out of Saskatoon and Regina will continue to see flights to and from Toronto and Vancouver, an Air Canada spokesperson told CBC News.
Saskatchewan residents will still be able to fly to Calgary, but only via other destinations, such as Vancouver.
Public health guidelines aimed to stymie the potential spread of COVID-19 affected all travel. Airports and airlines hemorrhaged money as a result of lower passenger traffic.
Air Canada has made changes to various routes to and from Calgary as it rebuilds from the impact of the pandemic, which means examining the network and where it would be most productive to deploy resources, the spokesperson said.