TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2021) Air Canada is reducing its staff capacity by 1,700 positions after the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweaked entry requirements mandating negative coronavirus tests to board an inbound flight, the company said in a statement.
The company will remove 25 percent of flights from its schedule for the first quarter of 2021 - an 80 percent reduction year over year - after the Federal government announced that all incoming airline passengers must present a negative coronavirus test result administered no later than 72 hours prior to takeoff in order to be allowed to board the plane.
"Air Canada will be reducing approximately 25 per cent of its planned capacity for the balance of the first quarter of 2021," Air Canada said on Wednesday. "As a result of these system-wide changes, there will be a workforce reduction of approximately 1700 employees."
Staffing capacity at Air Canada's Express brand will be reduced by 200, the company added.
In a statement, Air Canada's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Lucie Guillemette said that the company looks forward to bringing back the 20,000 employees currently furloughed or laid off once business returns to normal.
National Airlines Council of Canada President Mike McNaney has said that the new directive has the industry flying blind, without guidance or information needed to implement an overly complex policy.
