Sun sets on YXU southern flights

With pandemic woes and flight restrictions still in play, Sunwing and Air Transat pull the plug on sun destination flights out of London for the 2022 winter season

WITH THE PANDEMIC continuing to play havoc with airline travel and vacation plans, carriers Sunwing and Air Transat have announced the cancellation of their remaining sun destination flights out of London International Airport for the 2022 winter vacation season.

Sunwing was slated to begin offering flights to Mexico and the Dominican Republic in late January; Air Transat planned to start service to Cuba in February.

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The airport, like much of the travel and tourism sector, has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with flights all but halted last year.

While the airport has seen arrivals and departures increase since then, no international flights are currently serviced by London International Airport. There are now 13 daily flights in and out of YXU, all to Toronto on either Air Canada or WestJet.

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In November, Transport Canada announced that eight additional airports across the country would reopen to international travellers at the end of November. While London was not included in Transport Canada’s announcement, nearby John C. Munro Hamilton International and Region of Waterloo International were.

“In our minds, it’s absolutely unfair that Kitchener and Hamilton have been included in this and we haven’t,” said LIA president and CEO, Mike Seabrook, at the time of Ottawa’s announcement.

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Prior to the cancellation by Sunwing and Air Transat, London passengers would have been able to board flights here to Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic on the two carriers. When returning, they would have had to get off their flights in an approved city to pass through customs before returning to London, Seabrook said.

Seabrook is retiring from his post at the end of January and will be replaced by current Diamond Aircraft CEO, Scott McFadzean.