Air Canada cuts direct Winnipeg flights to Saskatoon, Thunder Bay

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This article was published 25/02/2019 (2405 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A frequent flyer between Winnipeg and Saskatoon can’t understand why it is one of three routes Air Canada announced it is closing.

Air Canada is ending its direct flights from Winnipeg to Saskatoon and Winnipeg to Thunder Bay and will fly only once daily to Regina.

“The routes did not perform at a level that would make commercial sense for us to continue,” an Air Canada spokesman said Monday.

But businessman Mac Shahsavar said he flew the Winnipeg-Saskatoon route last Friday and there were only two unoccupied seats in the 50-seat carrier. It was the same when he flew two weeks earlier.

“This is what I call poor planning by Air Canada,” said Shahsavar, adding the national carrier has “abandoned the province.”

Air Canada switched to older aircraft on the route about two years ago, adding more than 35 minutes to what had been an 85-minute flight to Saskatoon.

It also switched the flight time from morning and evening to midday, Shahsavar said.

“Because of that, guess what? The people started moving to WestJet,” he said.

Shahsavar lives in Winnipeg and frequently flies to Saskatoon, where he operates a business.

The spokesman for Air Canada said demand between the city-pairs, aircraft availability and overall profitability all factored into the decision.

The last Winnipeg-Thunder Bay flight is March 30, and March 31 for Winnipeg-Saskatoon. As of April, Winnipeg-Regina will be a single daily flight.

Customers booked on flights after March 31 will be contacted by Air Canada or their travel agent for options including alternate travel or a refund.

Winnipeg will still have daily Winnipeg-Regina service on WestJet Encore. It also flies twice daily between Winnipeg and Saskatoon (once daily on Saturday and Sunday).

WestJet Encore is a regional airline and subsidiary of WestJet.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca