Air Canada has announced a temporary suspension of flights from Toronto and Montreal to New York’s John F Kennedy airport, citing rising fuel prices linked to the ongoing war with Iran. The move comes as airlines worldwide grapple with soaring aviation fuel costs, despite a fragile ceasefire in April and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Separately, Spirit Airlines has reportedly requested hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funding from the US federal government to offset fuel cost surges, according to industry website The Air Current. Spirit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Air Canada stated that jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict, making some lower-profitability routes no longer economically viable. The suspension begins 1 June and is expected to last until 25 October, affecting one Montreal flight and three Toronto flights. Affected customers will be offered alternate travel options via LaGuardia or Newark airports, where Air Canada will continue 34 daily flights from six Canadian cities.
Other temporary suspensions include a Salt Lake City-Toronto route from 30 June, with resumption planned for 2027, and a delay to the launch of a Guadalajara-Montreal service. The airline anticipates these changes will affect 1% of its overall passenger-carrying capacity.
The broader aviation industry is feeling the strain, with easyJet forecasting a pre-tax loss of £540m-£560m for the six months to March, and Australian carriers Qantas and Virgin Australia raising ticket prices and reducing flight frequencies. The International Energy Agency has warned that Europe has only six weeks of jet fuel reserves remaining, with flight cancellations expected to follow if Middle East oil supplies are not restored.
