Sask. airports left off list of destinations allowed to receive international flights
The federal government announced Monday it will allow fully vaccinated Americans to enter the country on Aug.9; however, travellers won’t be able to fly directly into Saskatchewan.
International flights were restricted to Canada’s four largest airports through much of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, five more cities have been added to the list, but both Regina and Saskatoon were left off, meaning neither are able to receive direct flights from the U.S. or international destinations.
Airlines are already selling tickets for non-stop flights from Saskatchewan to sun destinations this winter. They won’t be allowed to land in the province unless the federal government grants permission before winter.
“We very much understand the challenge that the government has faced with COVID-19 and having to make these restrictions,” said Regina Airport Authority CEO James Bogusz. “But what we want to have is just some certainty around a timeline that we can expect to be able to receive these non-stop international flights in the future.”
Earlier this year, Transport Canada stripped the Regina and Saskatoon airports of their international designation. That’s not believed related to the latest problem, but Regina-Wascana MP Michael Kram said he sees a pattern.
“Saskatoon did not make the list and Regina did not make the list and there doesn’t seem to be any good reason why all of these cities across Canada can accept international air travel but Regina and Saskatoon can not,” said Kram.
Previously, international flights could land in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa. As of Aug. 9, airports in Halifax, Quebec City, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton will be added to the roster.
The federal government will allow other fully vaccinated foreign nationals into the country on Sept. 7.
Saskatchewan airports are growing anxious with only 90 days before the first international flight is scheduled to arrive. If federal government approval does not come, passengers would have to reroute through Calgary, adding possible delay and disruption to winter vacation plans.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.