Air Canada to suspend several seasonal US routes, citing fuel costs
Weeks after suspending three routes to the U.S., Air Canada is making further cuts.
Air Canada plans to end four of its seasonal summer routes to the U.S. earlier than expected due to rising fuel costs, the airline said Tuesday.
The airline will suspend its flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Sacramento International Airport (SMF) on Aug. 1; between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) on July 29; between YYZ and Charleston International Airport (CHS) on Sept. 6; and between Montreal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), with a suspension in place from Sept. 5 to Oct. 19. (The airline is currently scheduled to resume thrice weekly service on the YUL-AUS once the suspension ends.)
The cuts were first spotted by X user @IshironA, and confirmed by Air Canada to TPG.
In the statement, the carrier confirmed that all four routes are slated to return for the 2027 summer travel season, making these route suspensions temporary in nature
"Affected customers will be contacted with alternate travel options, including the option of full refund where applicable," a spokesperson said, confirming in a follow-up that, like the airline's other recent route suspensions, these cuts are the result of higher fuel costs.
In late April, Air Canada said it would suspend flights between YYZ and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) from June 1 to Oct. 24; YUL and JFK from June 1 to Oct. 24; and YYZ to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) from July 16 until sometime in 2027.
At the time, the airline noted that the flights were "no longer economically feasible" due to the increased cost of jet fuel, which the airline said had doubled in Canada since the start of the U.S. war with Iran. Jet fuel prices in the U.S. have remained up 70 to 80% since the start of the conflict, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index.
Airlines across the globe are making cuts as they cope with higher fuel costs, while airlines in Europe are bracing for an expected shortage of jet fuel that could lead to significant cancellations across the continent starting as early as mid-May. Lufthansa Group airlines have already announced more than 20,000 cancellations between May and October across their hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels and Rome.
At this point, it seems likely that without a resolution to the high prices and fuel shortage, more flight cuts across the globe are coming. As always, be sure to keep an eye on your flight reservations so you can make changes quickly if needed. You can read more of our tips about navigating European travel during this crisis here, including our thoughts on passenger rights and travel insurance.
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