Direct Air Canada flights between Calgary and Saskatoon, Regina end today
Air Canada is not providing direct flights between Calgary and two different cities, Saskatoon and Regina, beginning at this time.
The airline introduced its resolution in early December 2022, writing in an announcement to CTV News on the time that, “After careful review, we’ve decided that we must continue to strategically focus on rebuilding our main hubs of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.”
A search Monday for flights from Calgary to Saskatoon and Regina exhibits routes with layovers in Vancouver and Edmonton.
“It would appear that Air Canada, in terms of restructuring its fleet – going to larger airplanes, removing some of its smaller airplanes – maybe no longer feels that the Saskatchewan to Calgary market is sufficient to justify those larger planes,” Keith Willoughby, dean of the Edwards School of Business on the University of Saskatchewan and a professor of administration science, informed CTV’s Your Morning on Monday.
The removing of a service that folks in Saskatchewan have loved for years now leaves a “void” within the province, Willoughby added, particularly with the comfort of pandemic restrictions final 12 months and a rise in journey.
WestJet continues to supply direct flights between Calgary and Saskatchewan.
A spokesperson for WestJet stated the airline, beginning Monday, will supply three extra each day flights between Calgary and Saskatoon for as much as 9 every day, in addition to one other flight between Calgary and Regina for as much as seven each day.
“In total, WestJet will operate 104 weekly flights between the communities and YYC Calgary International Airport,” the spokesperson stated.
Not lengthy after Air Canada’s announcement, low-cost provider Flair Airlines stated it might additionally supply each day flights between Calgary and Saskatoon beginning in May.
“I think the fear with people here in the province is that now with one major airline providing that service will Saskatchewan residents — the consumer travellers, the business travellers — now see an increase in fares and I think that’s a concern for the Saskatchewan population,” Willoughby stated.
The transfer by Air Canada comes as Sunwing suspends all of its operations in Saskatchewan till Feb. 3.
Sunwing angered many air travellers this previous vacation season after the airline cancelled flights following a extreme winter storm and a breakdown in its digital communication service.
In 2018, Greyhound Canada cancelled just about all of its bus routes in Western Canada.
United Airlines cancelled direct flights from Regina and Saskatoon to Denver, Colo., in 2015. And in 2020, Delta suspended flights to Saskatoon.
Willoughby stated these latest flight cancellations may make it tougher for the province to compete economically with remainder of the world when it comes to recruiting for sure positions or bringing in individuals for conferences.
“Saskatchewan is home to a really vibrant business economy, a business culture, here,” he stated. “We’re seeing tremendous increases in tech and mining, and with those opportunities not being available it really does hamper the business opportunities in the province.”
With recordsdata from CTV News Saskatoon Multi-Skilled Journalist Tyler Barrow, CTV News Saskatoon Multi-Skilled Journalist Laura Woodward, CTV News Saskatoon Digital Journalist Chandra Philip and The Canadian Press
