Air Transat to cut all routes from Toronto, some Montreal routes until April 30

In a move it blames on tighter restrictions imposed by Ottawa, Transat A.T. Inc. is halting all flights out of Toronto and some from Montreal for the remainder of the winter travel season.

The route cuts will begin Thursday and last until April 30, Transat spokeswoman Debbie Cabana said.

“Continued travel restrictions and the numerous measures imposed by the federal government, including the requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test and to quarantine upon return to Canada, have had a significant impact on our bookings,” she said.

The cancelled routes in Toronto include flights to Cancun, Mexico, Holguin, Cuba, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Varadero, Cuba, Porto, Portugal and Lisbon, Portugal, Cabana said.

In addition to those flights, Cabana added that Transat is cancelling its flights from Montreal to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Varadero.

The airline notified travel agents of the cancellations in a memo Wednesday, which was obtained by The Canadian Press.

Passengers who paid for their flight or vacation package with cash or credit card will receive a full refund. Passengers currently at their destinations will be rebooked on flights returning to Canada, the memo says.

Transat’s cancellations come just two weeks after Air Canada announced it would lay off 1,700 workers and cut more routes amid a challenging business environment for the aviation industry.

The extent of the cuts are an indication that the expected recovery in demand for air travel in 2021 may take hold later in the year than many airlines had hoped, even as the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out nationwide.

The federal government has cracked down on international travel in recent weeks, implementing a new requirement in January that all travellers seeking to enter Canada provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the federal government is contemplating further restrictions, prompted by the arrival of more contagious strains of COVID-19 in Canada from abroad.

Trudeau this past weekend repeated his call for Canadians to cancel any vacations they may have booked, warning that people who travel abroad could face difficulties returning home.