Air Canada says it will recall more than 2,600 employees as it prepares for an increase in demand for flights, while also extending the deadline for COVID-19 refunds.
The airline said the employees being recalled will include various roles, including flight attendants, and will be brought back in stages in June and July.
Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline moved to recall the workers because it is seeing vaccinations increase, COVID-19 cases decline and governments ease restrictions.
He said the recall is part of its efforts to rebuild the airline's network and meet the expected demand for travel.
Air Canada laid off tens of thousands of workers as the pandemic swept Canada, including 16,500 last March, when the crisis began.
In April, the airline reached an agreement with Ottawa for a $5.9-billion aid package.
The country's largest airline also said it has extended the deadline to submit a request for refund for flights or vacation packages by 30 days until July 12.
About 40 per cent of eligible customers have requested a refund since the refund policy came into effect on April 13, with 92 per cent of requests having been processed.
"The number of customers who have requested a refund is lower than anticipated and most have kept their travel credit," stated chief commercial officer Lucie Guillemette, adding that's a vote of confidence in the airline.
Customers have the option of a transferrable travel voucher with no expiry date or converting the value of the ticket to Aeroplan points with a 65 per cent bonus. Customers who obtained these refunds can also exchange them for a refund in the original form of payment.
Air Canada says its new refund policy for all purchased tickets will be a choice of voucher or bonified Aeroplan points if the airline cancels or reschedules a flight by more than three hours.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2021.
If no political party is willing to say uncle, the drawn-out stalemate in the House of Commons is heading for an unprecedented situation that could amount to a tacit lack of confidence in the government, without anyone in Parliament casting a vote.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she agrees it could be time to cut Mexico out of the trilateral free trade agreement with Canada and the United States.
Centenarian Mary McEachern says she knew what her husband wanted when he died. The problem is, his will says otherwise.
The yellow banana fixed to the white wall with silver duct tape is a work entitled 'Comedian,' by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It first debuted in 2019 as an edition of three fruits at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair, where it became a much-discussed sensation.
The shine on CanLit's glitziest night has dulled, at least according to some, amid sustained backlash against the Giller Foundation for maintaining ties with lead sponsor Scotiabank and other funders linked to Israel.
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, in 2022 endorsed one of Russia's main justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world's nastiest pathogens.
Working on a military truck, within the logistics squadron of CFB Kingston, Private Charlotte Schnubb is elbows deep into an engine with a huge smile on her face.
When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, the conventional wisdom was that the capital, Kyiv, would soon fall and the rest of the country wouldn't last long against a much larger enemy.
The BC Nurses Union is calling for change after a student nurse was stabbed by a patient at Vancouver General Hospital Thursday.
Working on a military truck, within the logistics squadron of CFB Kingston, Private Charlotte Schnubb is elbows deep into an engine with a huge smile on her face.
A former couple who bought a boat together took their post-breakup fight over its expenses to B.C.'s small claims tribunal.
Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after a man was shot and injured by police after he allegedly injured multiple people with a weapon in Ottawa's east end Friday night.
The BC Nurses Union is calling for change after a student nurse was stabbed by a patient at Vancouver General Hospital Thursday.
Centenarian Mary McEachern says she knew what her husband wanted when he died. The problem is, his will says otherwise.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, in 2022 endorsed one of Russia's main justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world's nastiest pathogens.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has selected Chris Wright, a campaign donor and fossil fuel executive, to serve as energy secretary in his upcoming, second administration.
NGOs in Venezuela announced the release from prison of some of the thousands of people who were detained following the July presidential election.
The yellow banana fixed to the white wall with silver duct tape is a work entitled 'Comedian,' by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It first debuted in 2019 as an edition of three fruits at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair, where it became a much-discussed sensation.
For pro-Palestinian activists, Trump’s reelection is a bitter vindication, as they spent months pushing Biden to scale back his support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Israeli ground forces reached their deepest point in Lebanon since they invaded six weeks ago, before pulling back early Saturday after fierce battles with Hezbollah militants, Lebanese state media reported.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she agrees it could be time to cut Mexico out of the trilateral free trade agreement with Canada and the United States.
If no political party is willing to say uncle, the drawn-out stalemate in the House of Commons is heading for an unprecedented situation that could amount to a tacit lack of confidence in the government, without anyone in Parliament casting a vote.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to leave Peru this morning for the G20 summit in Brazil as Ottawa seeks its place in a rift between the United States and booming economies in the developing world.
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and St. Joseph’s Healthcare is shining a light on people that are finding a community of support in digital spaces.
Health Canada announced a consumer product recall this week for a plush children’s toy, due to a potential choking hazard from the eyes of the toy detaching.
Health officials said Saturday they have confirmed the first U.S. case of a new form of mpox that was first seen in eastern Congo.
While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, Bluesky has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.
A species of marine worm that scientists lost sight of for almost 70 years has finally resurfaced, thanks to some eagle-eyed sleuthing and a seahorse less than an inch long. When researchers analyzed images of tiny seahorses taken by scuba divers, they found evidence of photobombing worms in the hundreds, living alongside the seahorses in coral colonies from Japan to Australia.
The moon has some new stories to tell. Scientists have published the first detailed analyses of the historic cache of lunar soil and rock that China retrieved from the far side of the moon this year.
The shine on CanLit's glitziest night has dulled, at least according to some, amid sustained backlash against the Giller Foundation for maintaining ties with lead sponsor Scotiabank and other funders linked to Israel.
More than 50 contestants turned out Saturday in a Chicago park to compete in a lookalike contest vying to portray actor Jeremy Allen White, star of the Chicago-based television series 'The Bear.'
New York City politicians are calling on Whoopi Goldberg to apologize for suggesting that a local bakery declined a birthday order because of politics.
The latest inflation reading due out Tuesday from Statistics Canada is expected to show a slight uptick for the month of October — but economists say the measure is still on a longer-term downward trend.
Boeing has delivered layoff notices to more than 400 members of its professional aerospace labor union, part of thousands of cuts planned.
Olav Thon, a billionaire who went from selling leather and fox hides in his youth to build one of Norway's biggest real estate empires, has died. He was 101.
A piece of national park history surfaced at Point Pelee National Park this week – a pair of parks badges from 1939 and 1940.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
It's a growing trend online: fragrance influencers who rave about the beauty, sexiness and notes of vanilla in perfume have caught the attention of Canadian teenagers who are, in turn, flocking to cologne counters across the country.
Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power, has died. He was 82.
The boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Like Wonka’s famous golden ticket, the Pittsburgh Pirates are offering a scrumdiddlyumptious prize in exchange for a rare, one-of-a-kind baseball card of their star pitcher Paul Skenes.
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
When a Tesla crashed on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto last month, the first people on scene knew there were occupants inside but couldn't immediately get them out.
Almost four out of five Canadian drivers switch to winter tires when the weather calls for them, according to a new survey.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A New Brunswick fashion designer recently won the top prize at a national event for a dress she made using an unconventional material.
Dr. Ronald Weiss, who performed nearly 60,000 vasectomies on Ottawa men, establishing him as the "Wayne Gretzky" of the procedure, has died.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
An iconic home famous for its polka-dotted exterior will soon be torn down, marking the end of an era for East Vancouver residents.
A former couple who bought a boat together took their post-breakup fight over its expenses to B.C.'s small claims tribunal.
Swathed in a black, sequined catsuit, with a luxe cowboy hat tipped to the crowd, you could be forgiven, in a certain light, for mistaking Michelle Reid for the real deal.
Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 126-123 on Saturday night.
An infant is in hospital after being hit by the driver of a vehicle in downtown Toronto Saturday night.
Toronto police have identified the man who was fatally stabbed at a condo in City Place on Thursday and charged a suspect in connection with the incident.
The city released preliminary findings of an investigation into the failure of the Bearspaw South feeder main late Friday afternoon suggesting that there were a number of factors behind its failure.
RCMP believe poor road conditions may have been a contributing factor in a two-vehicle crash near Brooks that killed a 51-year old woman.
Centenarian Mary McEachern says she knew what her husband wanted when he died. The problem is, his will says otherwise.
Canada's nuclear safety regulator is taking action against an Ottawa manufacturing facility relating to safety, security and financial problems amid an ongoing strike by the company's employees that reached its 200th day on Sunday.
Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after a man was shot and injured by police after he allegedly injured multiple people with a weapon in Ottawa's east end Friday night.
Mainly sunny skies and higher-than-average temperatures are in the forecast for Ottawa this Sunday.
Former CTV Montreal anchor Bill Haugland was honoured this weekend by the Quebec Federation of Professional Journalists with a lifetime achievement award.
Rent hikes are expected to ease across Canada in the next few years — except in Quebec, according to a Desjardins report.
Health-care professionals in Quebec continue to denounce the government’s privatization of the network as it starts tightening the belt with hiring freezes.
Centenarian Mary McEachern says she knew what her husband wanted when he died. The problem is, his will says otherwise.
Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse was left bloodied and had to be helped to the locker room after taking a hit to the head from Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves early in the second period of Edmonton's game against Toronto on Saturday.
A 20-year-old man wanted in connection with the shooting of a convenience store worker in McCauley has turned himself in to police.
Tom Forrestall, a celebrated Nova Scotia artist remembered for pioneering the Atlantic realism tradition, died at the age of 88 on Friday.
A new project mapping Halifax's architectural heritage shows the city has lost most of its historical structures.
Groups working to help victims of domestic violence in Nova Scotia say a recent string of murders of women provides just a glimpse of the extent of intimate partner violence in the province, and they say more action is needed to protect victims.
An eight-year-old girl and her mother have died after a collision involving two vehicles in southern Manitoba.
Nearly 140 years after Louis Riel’s death, dozens gathered to remember Manitoba’s founding father at his gravesite.
The Manitoba Hydro Santa Claus Parade returns today at 5 p.m. and be streamed live on CTV News Winnipeg.ca.
Members from Métis Nation Saskatchewan along with residents paid tribute to the leader of the Métis people Saturday at the 15th annual Louis Riel Vigil Walk.
Christmas is fast approaching, and the Santa Claus parade is back to help people get into the spirit.
The University of Regina Rams fell just short of a trip to the Vanier Cup after losing 17-14 to Laval University at the Mitchell Bowl on Saturday.
Kids and the young-at-heart lined Weber Street to catch a glimpse at old saint nick as the Lions Club of Kitchener held it’s annual Santa Claus Parade Saturday morning.
One person has been taken to hospital after a crash at The Boardwalk shopping centre in Kitchener.
A former elementary school principal in Waterloo, Ont. has pleaded guilty to charges that include luring and transmitting sexually explicit material to someone believed to be under the age of 16.
Saskatoon police say the sudden death reported Friday evening is now deemed as the city’s 13th homicide.
Saskatoon police responded to several collisions involving multiple vehicles Saturday morning following freezing rain and icy road conditions in Saskatoon.
At Ecole Canadienne-Francaise the Sask. Wheelchair Sports Association is making cookies. This is to kick off the annual Tim Hortons cookie campaign.
Newly released documents show the Royal Canadian Mounted Police collected wreckage after an unidentified object was shot down over Lake Huron in February of last year.
A 72-year-old teacher from Blind River has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault involving two victims under the age of 16.
The Timmins rock band Miners and Sons have made history. The group performed a rock concert in the world’s deepest base metal mine below sea level, breaking a Guinness World Record.
Nine teams of firefighters laced up their skates to not only compete for a title but raise money for a great cause on Saturday.
The hand decorated parade float will depart in the London Santa Claus Parade on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. from the Agriplex.
Postal workers hit the picket line Friday morning, and the strike comes as we head into the busy holiday shopping season.
One person was left with signs of hypothermia after being rescued from Kempenfelt Bay in the early hours of the morning.
Police in Barrie are investigating what is being described as a series of ‘violent’ incidents that occurred early Saturday morning.
Nottawasaga OPP are searching for two suspects who were involved in an alleged theft at a store in Alliston this week.
As several of Windsor’s top minds in technology shared their knowledge at the University of Windsor on Saturday morning, the next generation of experts worked hard to get their wheels turning.
Essex OPP were on the scene of an investigation in the area of 4th Street and Railway Avenue in Belle River this afternoon.
On Friday evening, Windsor Police say they were called to a collision on Chrysler Centre between Vinny and Ypres for reports of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian.
A former couple who bought a boat together took their post-breakup fight over its expenses to B.C.'s small claims tribunal.
Swathed in a black, sequined catsuit, with a luxe cowboy hat tipped to the crowd, you could be forgiven, in a certain light, for mistaking Michelle Reid for the real deal.
Residents in Metro Vancouver will likely be getting out their umbrellas this weekend as the region faces heavy rain and wind.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Early Friday morning, the union representing Canada Post workers officially went on strike. The strike will have a wide-reaching impact on many Canadians, and it comes at a difficult time for charities.
A back-and-forth question between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi when it comes to calling a Lethbridge-West byelection has no distinct answer nearly five months later.
Two hundred students from across southern Alberta set sail at the University of Lethbridge Thursday, in cardboard boats.
A Sault Ste. Marie program that gives people on social housing the opportunity to purchase a newly renovated home has just changed the lives of another local family.
About 700 Canada Post workers are walking the picket lines in communities across northeastern Ontario.
After receiving reports of a dangerous and erratic driver, police in Sault Ste. Marie charged the driver of a vehicle on Highway 17 this week.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
Newfoundland and Labrador's return on investment for sponsoring a professional English soccer team was not quite as rosy as previously claimed.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
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