Air Canada reducing number of flights between North Bay and Toronto
Air Canada is changing the way flights will be arriving and departing out of North Bay’s Jack Garland Airport.
In a statement to CTV News, the airline confirmed it will temporarily reduce its North Bay-Toronto service to one flight daily, except on Wednesdays, where there will be no flights.
“As we have since the start of the pandemic, Air Canada continues to evaluate and adjust its route network as required in response to the trajectory of the pandemic, government-imposed travel restrictions and quarantines, regulatory requirements, and the impact of these factors on overall demand,” the airline said in an email.
In March 2020, Air Canada put a temporary halt to service between North Bay and Toronto and then indefinitely suspended it a few months later. Air Canada then flipped the script last June and returned to run two flights a day.
“It’s not Air Canada’s fault, not North Bay’s fault, not the fault of the passengers of North Bay because there’s still people that want to travel,” said Jack Garland Airport Manager Jack Santerre.
“The airport is still moving along and moving passengers. It’s the continued lockdowns.”
Santerre said government-imposed lockdowns continue to create a "slowdown of passenger travel.”
“This is not unique to North Bay,” said Santerre. “It’s similar across northern Ontario and across the country.”
Before the New Year, the airport was seeing an uptick in passengers arriving and departing and the airport was anticipating airlines to boost services up to three flights a day.
“I believe this will be a short delay in the road back to recovery,” Santerre said. “After the first quarter of 2022, we’re hoping just like everybody else that the pandemic settles down.”
Santerre is calling on government officials to be more supportive of the aviation industry so it can bounce back to what it was before the pandemic began.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are expecting their first child
Hailey Rhode Bieber, Canadian musician Justin Bieber's wife, announced her pregnancy on social media on Thursday. Hailey posted a series of photos showing her baby bump alongside husband Justin.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street