Canada’s Carriers Agree To Suspend Sun Flights

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this morning that Canada’s four major airlines – Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Transat – are “stepping up” and have agreed to suspend service to sun destinations immediately.

The suspension covers the period of Jan. 31 to April 30.

The Prime Minister also confirmed that there will be additional measures implemented that will include an additional compulsory COVID-19 PCR test for passengers arriving in Canada and they will be required to wait for those test results for a minimum of three days in Health Canada-approved hotels.

Cost of such a stay, the Prime Minister said, would be approximately $2,000, including the cost of the tests, nights at the hotels.

If the test is negative, travellers will be allowed to return home under strict rules to finish their quarantine.

The Prime Minister praised Canada’s four airlines, saying he appreciated their efforts and indicated that the government would be working with the carriers further on both testing and quarantine issues.

Beginning next week, the government will also be requiring all international flights to land only at Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto or Montreal.

The Prime Minister noted as well that by putting all of these measures in place, Canadians can look forward to travelling when times are better, indicating that the government will continue to work with the country’s travel and tourism industry.