Air Canada drops midday Toronto flight

Air Canada to eliminate one of its three daily YXU-Toronto flights

AIR CANADA HAS announced it will be eliminating one of three daily flights between London and Toronto, effective next month.

The Air Canada flight at 12:30 p.m. will be eliminated in February, leaving two daily flights at 6:15 a.m. and another at 4 p.m.

The cancellation is part of the airline’s its Covid-19 Mitigation and Recovery Plan. Announced last week, the latest round of cuts will reduce Air Canadas capacity by an additional 25 per cent. According to the airline, as a result of the system-wide changes, there will be a workforce reduction of approximately 1,700 employees nationally, in addition to the over 200 impacted employees at its Express carriers. The airline is working with its unions on mitigation programs.

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According to a report in the London Free Press, London International Airport president and CEO, Mike Seabrook, said the mid-afternoon London-Toronto flight averaged more than 60 per cent occupancy during the holiday period, but has dropped significantly since. Overall London airport volume has suffered significantly during the pandemic, falling from 683,000 in 2019 to 202,000 passengers last year.

Relying on increased cargo traffic, additional revenue streams and government subsidies, Seabrook remains optimistic regarding the airport’s positioning to bounce back in the post-pandemic environment.  

“The service cuts are reasonable for a pandemic,” Seabrook told the Free Press. “When we come out of this, our airport will be positioned for growth. We are prepared for the recovery.”