Air Canada flights slowly resume at YQR, delays still expected

The head of Regina’s International Airport is keeping a close eye on Air Canada operations now that a new tentative deal has been reached between the airline and the union representing its flight attendants.

YQR Airport CEO James Bogusz joined the Greg Morgan Morning Show to explain that the one thing he has been watching closely is when people can book a flight from Regina through Air Canada.

Listen to the full interview with James Bogusz:

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“‘When can I get back to Toronto on a non-stop with Air Canada?’ It looks like Saturday at the moment is going to be the soonest you can book a new flight,” explained Bogusz.

“Same thing with that additional flight to Vancouver; and why I’m making that distinction is there’s still service to Vancouver right now with their Air Canada Express, or known as the Jazz product.”

Air Canada put out a release about the tentative deal early Tuesday morning, saying it could take seven to 10 days for full restoration of services. Bogusz said that means Air Canada flights at YQR won’t be back in full swing immediately.

“But, it does mean you’re going to start seeing some activity start trickling back, and if you have a confirmed itinerary and you have not yet received a cancellation notice, just stay tuned for what they’re going to tell you.”

With that, Bogusz said he is expecting some delays for travellers at the Regina Airport.

“Remember, lots of people could already have bookings right now. They haven’t yet received a cancellation notice. We’re going to see what happens.”

Regina International Airport. (980 CJME file photo)

In the meantime, he said it has been a lot quieter at the Regina Airport during the strike.

“WestJet and our United Flight, many of the flights have been sold right through, and if you look at the pricing on some of the service to places like Toronto or Vancouver, it’s definitely reflected in that, even the flight to Denver.”

Bogusz said there were even about two days when people could not book a single seat on a plane departing from Regina.

“So clearly the airline (Air Canada) is rebooking folks onto these flights to find other ways to get you to where you need to go, and passengers have more than gotten the message,” he explained.

“I wouldn’t suggest, though, that they’re not processing effectively. We’ve got to keep in mind, we’re seeing about 25 per cent less people departing right now because of this Air Canada on average, so the airport has actually been a little bit quieter than usual, which is strange, given the circumstances.”

Bogusz said since the strike kicked off last week, it has created a lot of ups and downs at YQR.

“We’ve seen mass cancellations on Air Canada flights, and we’re talking about all of the service to Toronto that has been very impactful for hundreds of passengers at a YQR departing each day, and also the large jet — one of the three flights we have, typically — to Vancouver.”