24 March 2020: In order to enable Canadians stranded abroad to return home, Air Canada will be operating six special flights from Lima, Barcelona and Quito. These flights are operated in collaboration with the Government of Canada in their efforts to repatriate Canadian citizen.
"Several hundred Canadians trapped in Peru, Ecuador and Spain since the imposition of restrictive travel measures by the authorities will finally be able to return home. Air Canada remains fully mobilized dealing with this global health crisis and we have committed to keep operating internationally, trans border to the U.S. and across Canada to allow people to return to Canadian soil as quickly as possible and transport important shipments of goods, including emergency supplies. I thank all our employees for their on-going commitment, particularly our crews which are directly working on these flights, to bring Canadians home safely," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.
Over the past week, Air Canada has brought more than 200,000 Canadians back on its scheduled international and trans border flights. By the end of March, it plans to have operated more than 300 flights from international airports and more than 850 flights from USA airports. Air Canada has also announced that it intends to maintain a limited number of trans border and international flights from selected Canadian cities after April 1, 2020 to maintain a number of "air bridges" to facilitate essential travel and ensure the continued movement of emergency supplies and other vital goods.