Air Canada cancels almost 10 per cent of flights at Toronto Pearson in first week of June
Air Canada cancelled almost 10 per cent of its flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport in the first week of June.
In total, that amounts to about 360 Air Canada flights cancelled between June 1 and June 7.
Those cancellations are split between departures and arrivals that took place during that seven-day stretch, Cirium, an aviation data company, told CTV News Toronto on Thursday.
Pearson has become the focal point of criticism for its now notorious delays and cancellations. This week, the city’s mayor called the situation at the airport “unacceptable” after a former NHL player declared Pearson the "worst place on earth."
Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Air Canada, told CTV News Toronto that Pearson, in particular, has been impacted by wider issues impeding the regular flow at airports and for airline operations.
Those challenges include staffing shortages, longer security and customs times and recurring air traffic control limitations.
“These can have knock-on effects not only for our customers but can also impact our employee resources and operations,” Fitzpatrick said.
While Fitzpatrick acknowledged that these issues have posed challenges, he said Air Canada is currently moving more than 100,000 customers per day.
Meanwhile, WestJet data shows that about two per cent of the airline's departing flights and three per cent of arriving flights at Pearson were cancelled the first week of June.
These cancellations come amid calls for the federal government to drop its remaining COVID-19 travel restriction to alleviate some of the added measures slowing down services. However, those rules were extended until at least the end of the month.
Earlier this week, Federal Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra addressed the issues plaguing Pearson.
“I know it’s frustrating. We’re going to do everything we can to provide the resources they need, to help logistically, to provide the support they need,” Alghabra said on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.