American Airlines said late Saturday that it is suspending about 75 per cent of its long-haul international flights, starting Monday and lasting through May 6, in response to “decreased demand” and U.S. government travel restrictions. The airline did not announce any layoffs, but is grounding about 135 planes.
It will continue to fly three routes: One daily flight from Dallas to London, a daily flight from Miami to London, and three per week from Dallas to Tokyo. Short-haul flights to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America will continue.
Amid U.S. travel restrictions, travellers coming back to the U.S. faced long lines and hours-long waits for required medical screenings. The dense crowds Saturday at some of the 13 airports where travellers from Europe are being funnelled — among the busiest across the country — formed even as public health officials called for “social distancing” to stem the spread of the pandemic.
United Airlines said it booked $1.5 billion US less revenue in March compared to the same time last year. The airline also said it would cut corporate officers’ salaries by 50 per cent and reduce flight capacity by about 50 per cent in April and May, with deep capacity cuts also expected into the summer travel period.
On Sunday, Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau’s office said no Canadian airports will be closing to domestic flights, but some international flights will be diverted to certain airports. The list of what flights and airports will be affected has not yet been decided.
The union representing WestJet flight attendants is expecting layoffs of more than 50 per cent of its staff as the number of flight cancellations and restrictions continues to mount amid the outbreak — although Mark Porter, an executive vice-president with WestJet, says the numbers being reported were communicated as one of several scenarios being contemplated.
VIA Rail said it’s scaling back service in its corridor from Windsor to Quebec City to comply with government guidelines for social distancing. The company said it will reduce service by 50 per cent in the busy corridor, which includes routes between Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and London, Ont.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) said it was temporarily halting most of its flights starting Monday due to travel restrictions and the “non-existent demand” for air travel. The company said it will resume flights when “there are yet again conditions to conduct commercial aviation.” SAS said it will have to temporarily lay off about 10,000 employees, or about 90 per cent of its workforce.
Air New Zealand said job losses would be necessary as it cut long-haul capacity by 85 per cent over the coming months — in response to strict measures announced by the government — and suspended flights to destinations including San Francisco, London, Buenos Aires, Honolulu and Tokyo.