“We will have conversations with Air Canada as we will with airlines across the sector to try and see how the best way to get through this particular pandemic is,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said
Decommissioned and suspended Air Canada commercial aircrafts are seen stored in Pinal Airpark on May 16, 2020 in Marana, Arizona.Less than 24 hours after Canada’s largest airline announced plans for a massive downsizing of its workforce due to COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’s willing to see what can be done to help the ailing company — but remained mum on details.
Trudeau sidestepped questions about whether aid could come in the form of a bailout, a federal stake in the company’s equity or whether Ottawa would be willing to help with the company’s pension and health benefit obligations. He committed only to talking to the company to try to determine what aid could be possible.
Air Canada’s move was announced after Trudeau extended the $73-billion Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy through the end of August earlier on Friday.The airline did take advantage of the federal wage subsidy program to rehire over 16,000 employees initially laid off in March due to the pandemic.
The federal government will continue to work with Air Canada to try to determine the best way to get through the crisis, Trudeau said.
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