Air Canada cancellations cause ripple effect at Saskatchewan airport

Some travelers across Canada are having a hard time starting their summer plans.

Delayed and canceled flights are on the rise as Air Canada has reduced more than 150 flights a day nationwide.

Many people are stuck at airports and hotels for hours and have no choice but to cancel their trip, rebook their flight at a later date, or stay for days.

Ron Paul wanted to fly from Saskatoon to Vancouver for the event, but he was informed that his flight was no longer available.

“I was told that it was completely canceled and I was trying to book another flight, but it was all booked and some were cancelled,” Paul said.

Air Canada is believed to have offered to take him on WestJet, but couldn’t find an uncrowded plane. They also offered to hold him a ticket for up to a year, but he refused.

“I was a little disappointed,” Paul said.

Airports in Saskatchewan are not as problematic as Toronto Pearson Airport and Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, with only 7% of flights canceled in Saskatoon.

However, Skyxe Stephen Maybury’s president and CEO said Saskatoon International Airport still feels a minor impact.

“Because of the natural and inherent spillover effects that occur throughout the network, the impact of a large hub will certainly affect flights here,” says Maybury.

Maybury added that there are several reasons for the delay, including pre-boarding screening, labor shortages, and an increase in travelers. Also, with the increase in post-pandemic travel, demand is higher than airlines can meet.

In a statement, Air Canada Media said: “As widely reported, airport and aviation industry operations are affected by resource issues of third-party service providers. The operating environment has changed globally since pre-pandemics, especially security. There are well-documented issues such as aircraft being held at gates that cannot drop passengers at airports and customs, airport baggage system issues, and restrictions on the number of flights imposed by. Air traffic controls in both Canada and the United States have forced airlines to cancel at the last minute.

“Air Canada is taking steps to improve its customer journey, and recently adjusted its schedule to reduce an average of 77 round trips (or 154 flights) per day in July and August. Most of the flights we receive depart from and arrive at the hubs of Toronto and Montreal. These are primarily frequency degradation, primarily affecting evening and midnight flights on cross-border routes and domestic flights by small aircraft. It does. International flights are unaffected, except for limited timing changes to reduce peak flights and even out the flow of customers. “

“Air Canada is committed to working with airports, governments and other industry partners to further stabilize and improve all aspects of the air transport ecosystem. Air Canada is committed to the disappointment and inconvenience of our customers. We are fully aware of the schedule changes and are doing our best to mitigate these unfortunate situations. You will be automatically notified when your flight is canceled. If possible, as soon as possible. It will be rebooked, but in other cases Air Canada will continue to look for alternatives and advise if options are available. You can also request a refund to your original payment method at any time for compensation. If required, Air Canada will comply with APPR’s obligations. “

Flight concerns are expected to continue until August, so more travelers may face the same problem.