Even fewer passenger flights will take off and land at Winnipeg Airport because of federal journey restrictions that take impact subsequent week.
As of 10:59 pm CST on February three, all worldwide passenger, non-public and constitution flights, together with these from the US, will cross by means of Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal airports solely. Cargo flights are exempt.
In the meantime, Canada’s main airways, Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat, have agreed to cancel flights to the Caribbean and Mexico till the top of April.
The federal authorities can also be introducing a quarantine rule by which worldwide vacationers shall be screened for COVID-19 upon arrival at one among 4 Canadian airports, then pay to isolate themselves in a government-approved resort till outcomes are obtained. .
“It’s disappointing for Winnipeg, the place we’re seeing 4 airports which might be going to have that service and we’re not going to have that in Winnipeg,” mentioned Tyler MacAfee, vp of communications and authorities relations for the Winnipeg Airport Authority.
“We now have resorts right here in Winnipeg that would definitely do what they’re doing in these cities.”
Delta Air Strains nonetheless serves a flight between Winnipeg and Minneapolis, Minn., However that service shall be minimize off within the subsequent few days, MacAfee mentioned.
The journey restrictions are geared toward decreasing the import instances of COVID-19 variants, first detected within the UK and South Africa. The variants are extra transmissible, and probably extra lethal, than the unique pressure of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Some instances of COVID-19 variants have already been found in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The UK variant, also called the B117 variant, might considerably hamper Ontario’s skill to sluggish the unfold of COVID-19, a brand new mannequin suggests.
Manitoba has additionally closed its borders for a similar cause. Beginning Friday, most vacationers arriving in Manitoba should self-isolate for 2 weeks.
Passenger visitors plummets at YWG
The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably impeded passenger visitors at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson Worldwide Airport.
Passenger visitors from October 2020 to December 2020 was down almost 87% in comparison with the identical stretch in 2019, based on fourth-quarter outcomes launched Friday by the Winnipeg Airport Authority.
Final fall’s visitors was additionally down 27 % in comparison with the earlier quarter, the assertion mentioned.
Nevertheless, cargo visitors is growing. Shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine arrive by means of the Winnipeg airport, however many packages do as nicely, the assertion mentioned.
Within the final quarter of 2020, the variety of cargo planes touchdown at Winnipeg airport elevated by 7.5 % in comparison with the identical interval in 2019, the assertion mentioned.
Though the figures haven’t but been audited, the airport authority reviews income of $ 14.four million final quarter, a gradual drop of $ 33.9 million in the identical interval of 2019.
The airline trade, together with Winnipeg airport, has tried to make air journey safer for passengers throughout the pandemic, MacAfee mentioned, citing masks mandates, stricter cleansing regimes and the set up of ultraviolet lights on stairways. mechanical.
However with extra restrictions in place to discourage the general public from touring, airports want monetary help to remain afloat, he mentioned.
“It is not so simple as flipping a change and saying, ‘OK, now the whole lot begins over,'” MacAfee mentioned. “It should take time.”
It will also be tough to get flight paths again into service as soon as they’re suspended, he added.
