Air Canada suspends direct Vancouver - Delhi flights till September 8

Air Canada will not be operating flights between Delhi and Vancouver, starting from June 3 till September 8, 2022. The Canadian flag carrier recently announced the same and stated that the reason for the said suspension is the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the flights going to Canada's densest city are required to use the Russian and Ukrainian airspace.

Referring to this, Arun Pandeya, Country Head and General Manager - Indian Subcontinent at Air Canada confirmed the development and added that the airline will be deploying more flights on other routes flying to the country. He further added that the flight suspension will not be affecting Indian travellers majorly, as they will be accommodating the passengers, with existing booking, on other flights without any additional fee. He said, “If you purchased your ticket directly from a travel agency or an online travel website, please contact them directly for your new itinerary information.”
Air Canada also released a statement on this and stated that the Delhi-Vancouver route is operationally constrained because of extended flying times and a refuelling stop, which is required due to the current flight paths to go around Russian and Ukraine airspace. The airline also added that the summer wind and weather conditions in South Asia are expected to compound these constraints, which make the route unviable during this period.

During this period, when the flight will not be operating on the same route, Air Canada will continue to operate up to 11 weekly flights between Canada and India from its gateways in Toronto and Montreal as these routes utilise different flight paths.
Air Canada outlined that India is an important market and added that it will restart non-stop flights between Vancouver and Delhi from September 6, and Delhi and Vancouver from September 8.

1. When did the Russia - Ukraine war start?
   February 24, 2022.
2. When did Ukraine separate from Russia?
   Ukraine officially declared itself an independent country on 24 August 1991, when the communist Supreme Soviet (parliament) of Ukraine proclaimed that Ukraine would no longer follow the laws of USSR and only the laws of the Ukrainian SSR, de facto declaring Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union.
3. What was the Ukraine called before?
   Soviet Socialist Republic