Air travel faces challenges due to escalating fuel prices. Air Canada announced on Thursday that it is discontinuing service earlier than scheduled on four seasonal routes to U.S. destinations due to the high cost of jet fuel. The affected routes and their last flight dates are as follows: Toronto to Sacramento on August 1, Vancouver to Raleigh on July 29, Toronto to Charleston on September 6, and Montreal to Austin on September 7. Air Canada intends to resume full service on these routes in the summer of 2027, offering affected passengers alternative travel options or refunds where applicable.
Airlines globally are reducing flights in response to the conflict in Iran and the resulting oil blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which has led to a significant increase in jet fuel prices. Last month, Air Canada announced the suspension of six routes, citing economic feasibility concerns. WestJet also disclosed a reduction in capacity by one percent in April, three percent in May, and nearly six percent in June through flight consolidations and adjustments to seasonal service durations to various destinations.
The jet fuel scarcity has had an impact on airfares as well. Air Canada, WestJet, Porter Airlines, and Air Transat have all unveiled plans to raise fares or impose surcharges to counter the escalating costs.