There will be no flights to India in the near future
Canadian airline cancels flights without waiting for government decision
Air Canada, Canada's largest airline, will not operate flights to India until June 22 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
India is still being attacked by a variant of B.1.617 known as the "Indian strain" or "double mutant". The number of deaths has passed 500,000 and 400,000 new cases per day are identified. Cases of B.1.617 have also been reported in three Canadian provinces: Ontario, Alberta and Quebec.
On April 22, the federal government decreed a 30-day lift of air traffic with India and Pakistan. The ban does not apply to cargo and transit flights — passengers can still get from India to Canada via a third country. Authorities did not announce the extension of the ban until June, the airline itself decided to cancel the flights.
"We did this because we expect the current ban on flights to these two countries to be extended," explained Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick.
Allison St. Jean, a spokesperson for Transport Canada, said the department is monitoring the epidemiological situation in India and Pakistan, but a final decision has not yet been made.
"All of the recent decisions announced by Air Canada are being made on their own initiative," Saint-Jean said.
In addition to flights to India, the airline cancelled flights to Israel due to the military situation.
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