Canadas airlines remain in a dangerous state of limbo

In the Americas, airlines outside the United States have, comparatively, received little government support, and in some cases restrictive border closures have hampered operators in working to develop a short to medium term recovery plan as some leisure demand starts to recover.

That is the case in Canada, where stringent restrictions have remained firmly in place since Mar-2020. The country’s airlines have repeatedly pressed the government to adopt a more science-based approach in the way that it navigates travel regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but so far no firm guidelines have been issued for changes in Canada’s travel policies.

Now, IATA has voiced concern that the prolonged restrictions could trigger permanent economic and social damage, and is urging Canada’s government to seek alternatives to the quarantine measures in place.

However, there is no guarantee that the government will heed the warnings of an industry in peril, and the result is Canadian operators remaining in an undesirable state of limbo.

Summary:

• IATA has joined Canada’s airlines in pushing the country to ease quarantines and other travel restrictions, warning that the restrictions could result in more than CAD20 billion in lost revenues for airlines serving Canada.
• As the restrictions have remained firmly in place, Canada’s financial support to the aviation sector has paled compared to other regions of the world.