Beleaguered airline WestJet is cutting over 100 weekly flights and severely reducing capacity on others as it continues to suffer in the COVID-19 era.
The firm said it will be indefinitely suspending flights to Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown and cutting services to Halifax and St. John’s.
Alongside the cuts in flights, WestJet will be laying off another hundred employees – on top of the 4,000 it has let go since coronavirus-related restrictions were implemented in March.
WestJet President and CEO said the “unrelenting pandemic” had “severely impacted” the airline.
“In normal times, we would fly more than two million guests every month,” he explained.
“Since the onset of the pandemic in March, we have flown just over one million guests in total. More than 70% of our fleet remains parked on the ground.”
He also referred to heightened restrictions on travel in Eastern Canada, which he blamed for the cuts announced today. The cuts will come into effect on Nov. 2.
"It has become unviable to serve these markets and these decisions were regrettably inevitable as demand is being obliterated by the Atlantic bubble and third-party fee increases,” he said.
"Since the pandemic's beginning, we have worked to keep essential air service to all of our domestic airports, but we are out of runway and have been forced to suspend service in the region without sector-specific support."
WestJet said passengers affected by the suspensions will be contacted directly “regarding their options for travel.”
Sims, though, said his firm remains committed to the Atlantic region, adding: “It is our intent to resume operations as soon as it becomes economically viable to do so."
Atlantic Canada suspensions by the numbers:
Elimination of more than 100 weekly flights or almost 80% of seat capacity from the Atlantic region
Temporary closure and service to four Atlantic stations (Charlottetown, Moncton, Fredericton and Sydney)
Halifax seat capacity will be reduced by 70% year over year.
The Atlantic provinces will retain three routes Halifax-Toronto, Halifax-Calgary and St. John's-Halifax
Service between Halifax and Toronto will operate with 14 weekly flights
Service between Halifax and St. John's will remain with 11 weekly flights
Service between Halifax and Calgary will remain with nine weekly flights
WestJet claimed that, until today’s announcement, it was the only Canadian airline to maintain 100% of its pre-coronavirus domestic network.
Sims said the firm has “poured millions of dollars” into safety plans for operating in the COVID-19 era.
