New federal support for Canada's pandemic-battered airline industry will be contingent on carriers providing refunds to passengers whose flights were cancelled, the government announced on Sunday. That has prompted airlines to furlough hundreds of pilots and technicians and discontinue dozens of regional routes since March. "Before we spend one penny of taxpayer money on airlines, we will ensure Canadians get their refunds," he said. The pandemic has devastated the airline industry, with billions of dollars in losses for Canadian carriers amid grounded flights and tight international borders. "In addition to financial support, a federal testing strategy for aviation is critical to ensuring the industry is able to safely restart, address regional travel restrictions and international border measures," McNaney said.

Source: CBC News November 08, 2020 21:03 UTC