Air Canada has announced that it will end its Port of Spain-Toronto route on August 31 as part of its restructuring. It's departure after 60 years leaves the business to Caribbean Airlines and charter carriers like Zoom and Sky. It says it will retrench 13 local staff and transfer its customer service manager in Trinidad to another country.Like most other airlines, Air Canada is reeling from skyrocketing fuel prices. That has forced the airlines to reduce its overall capacity.
Air Canada had been operating three flights per week to Piarco using its small Airbus A319 aircraft. A spokesman said fuel for the plane cost CAN$26,000, an increase of nearly 100 per cent over the fuel cost last year.
“Its a regrettable decision to have to discontinue after so many years, but it is necessary,” the airline said.
The airline announced in Canada on June 17 that it is forced to cut 2,000 jobs by November and reduce its capacity by seven per cent and hinted that more cuts may become necessary if the current trend continues.
Related story: Air Canada cutting 2,000 jobs, reducing capacity
“The loss of jobs is painful in view of our employees' hard work in bringing the airline back to profitability over the past four years,” said Montie Brewer, Air Canada's president and CEO.
“I regret having to take these actions but they are necessary to remain competitive going forward. Air Canada, like most global airlines, needs to adapt its business and reduce flying that has become unprofitable in the current fuel environment,” Brewer said in a release.
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