WATERLOO — Eight more Canadian airports have been given the green light to reopen for international flights, effective Nov. 30, 2021.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra made the announcement this morning at a media briefing at Waterloo International Airport.
Waterloo Airport is one of the eight, along with the major airports in St. John’s, Hamilton, Regina, Saskatoon, Kelowna, Abbotsford and Victoria.
The move means more Canadian travellers – and their travel agents – will be able to book convenient sun destination flights this winter.
“I’m pleased that increased vaccination levels have allowed us to reopen these additional Canadian airports to international passenger flights,” said Minister Alghabra. “This move will help ensure travellers are able to access more regional airports for their international travels this winter while continuing to support our government’s measured approach to reopening our borders.”
He noted that just over 30 airports across Canada normally have international flights. “We’re now up to 18 … there’s still more to go … I’m not able to [provide] a date but we’ll certainly want to reopen them as quickly as possible, but also as prudently as possible.”
The 10 Canadian airports currently accepting international flights are: Halifax Stanfield International, Québec City Jean Lesage International, Montréal-Trudeau International, Ottawa/Macdonald–Cartier International, Toronto Pearson International, Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre, Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International, Edmonton International, Calgary International, and Vancouver International.
On Oct. 21 the federal government dropped the blanket travel advisory, the last of the major restrictions hindering travel’s restart in the wake of COVID-19. Meanwhile Canada’s new rules requiring full vaccination for anyone over the age of 12 boarding a plane or train in Canada came into effect Oct. 30.
Minister Alghabra thanked Canadians for getting their COVID-19 vaccinations, and said vaccination is not only the best protection against COVID-19, it’s also crucial to preventing a return to travel restrictions. “We don’t want to ever go back to those days,” he said.