Council threatens to boycott Air Canada

St. John's city council has passed a motion to stop using Air Canada if the company drops its direct flights between St. John's and London, England.

The airline announced last week it would discontinue its direct flights between Heathrow airport in London and St. John's after Sept. 4. After that, travellers from the St. John's region will have to fly to Halifax for a connection.

• FROM MAY 2, 2006: Air Canada discontinues Heathrow connection

Coun. Art Puddister said Air Canada's decision is unacceptable and will hurt both tourism and business. He tabled a motion at Monday night's council meeting suggesting that everyone at city hall stop using Air Canada.

"I'm simply asking that this be a policy of this council that?we would ask members of council and employees that when they travel they would consider utilizing other airlines," said Puddister.

Coun. Shannie Duff said the dropped flight will not only impact business and tourism – she said war brides from the U.K., who married Newfoundland servicemen after the Second World War and are now living in the province, are also upset.

"Many of them are in their 80s," said Duff.

"They are devastated by that decision. It's not just the Board of Trade and NOIA [Newfoundland Ocean Industries Association] who are affected here – it's very ordinary people, many of them on fixed incomes."

Mayor Andy Wells argued against the policy, saying that not using the airline could jeopardize the 130 Air Canada employees in St. John's.

However, council passed the motion to boycott Air Canada Monday night, but only after the airline drops its Heathrow flight.

In the meantime, flights between St. John's and Heathrow will run daily through the summer months.