Air Canada ending flights between Sydney and Halifax in January

Air Canada plans to stop flying between Sydney, N.S., and Halifax in the new year.

Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce president Kathleen Yurchesyn told CBC's Mainstreet Cape Breton that the airline made the decision because the number of bookings was too low.

She said flights will still be available through another carrier.

"I would imagine that WestJet sees this as a viable route as they operate as a single carrier for the foreseeable future," Yurchesyn said.

She said it's a shame to lose flights from one carrier, but travel is just starting to rebound after plummeting during the COVID-19 pandemic and the service is only available when people use it.

Air Canada currently flies into J. A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport daily from Halifax and Toronto and four times a week from Montreal.

WestJet currently operates daily flights between Sydney and Halifax.

Toronto, Montreal flights to continue

In an email, Air Canada director of media relations Pascale Dery said flights between Sydney and Halifax will be suspended indefinitely on Jan. 10.

She said the airline plans to maintain its service between Sydney and Toronto and will increase flights to and from Montreal next summer.

WestJet did not respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, PAL Airlines from Newfoundland and Labrador had been planning flights out of Sydney airport earlier this year, but changed its mind after Air Canada and WestJet announced new flights out of Sydney.

In an email on Wednesday, PAL director of business development and sales Stephen Short said the airline is keeping an eye on market demand in the region.

"PAL Airlines continues to monitor developments in the market and is prepared to add capacity, supported by connectivity to both national carriers, in the event demand is sufficient to support our service," he said.

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