Air Canada to stop flying from Yellowknife to Edmonton and Calgary

Air Canada has decided to stop flying between Yellowknife and Edmonton and Yellowknife and Calgary.

As of Oct. 1, Air Canada will no longer fly direct from Yellowknife to Edmonton. Starting Nov. 1, the airline will no longer fly direct from Yellowknife to Calgary. 

People in Yellowknife with tickets on those flights started learning this week that the routes they had booked had changed. 

In an email Wednesday, an unnamed spokesperson for the airline said it has made changes to its fall and winter schedule to "build resiliency into the overall schedule."

The airline characterized the changes as "seasonal" and "temporary," but did not say when the direct flights would return. 

Air Canada has struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels of staffing. 

In late June, the company announced it was cancelling several domestic routes due to "unprecedented and unforeseen strains on all aspects of the global aviation system," according to Air Canada president and CEO Michael Rousseau at the time.

Air Canada continues to fly from Yellowknife to Vancouver, and said in an email that affected passengers could re-book flights using this route. 

"We continue to evaluate plans for the resumption of flights to Edmonton and Calgary," the spokesperson said.

Canadian North continues to offer daily flights between Yellowknife and Edmonton.

WestJet will increase its flights between Yellowknife and Calgary from six days a week to daily starting Oct. 31.

WestJet also offers flights to Edmonton once or twice each week, depending on the time of year.