Air Canada cutting 30 domestic routes, closing stations at eight airports

Air Canada is indefinitely suspending service on 30 domestic regional routes and closing eight stations at regional airports.

The airline says the cuts are being made as a result of continuing weak demand for both business and leisure travel due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closures.

The regional airports where Air Canada is closing its stations include four in Quebec and two in Ontario plus one in New Brunswick and one in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Air Canada also says other changes to its network and schedule, as well as further service suspensions, will be considered over the coming weeks.

The airline announced earlier this year that it would layoff about 20,000 workers or more than half of its staff as part of its plan to cut costs.

Air Canada says system-wide capacity is down about 85 per cent in the second quarter compared with the same quarter last year and expects capacity in the third quarter to be down 75 per cent compared with the third quarter of 2019.