Air Canada announced that, in coordination with the Government of Canada, operated two special flights from Athens to bring Canadians and permanent residents home from Israel. Through the arrangement, the Government of Canada is operating military flights from Tel Aviv to transport people to Athens, where they will then connect with Air Canada's special flights back to Toronto.
"Although safety considerations are unfortunately preventing us from operating our regular flights to Tel Aviv at present, we are supporting the Government of Canada in bringing Canadians home safely from Israel through these special repatriation flights. We continue to monitor the terrible events in Israel very closely and extend to its people our deepest condolences. We have flown to Israel since 1995 and it is a very important part of our network. Air Canada is committed to resuming commercial operations as soon as the situation stabilizes. I thank all employees involved across Air Canada for their tireless efforts in organizing these special flights," said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive at Air Canada.
"We are deeply grateful for Air Canada's assistance in helping to bring Canadians home. We will continue to work around the clock to support Canadians and for those in the region who need assistance, please contact Global Affairs at sos@international.gc.ca," said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"We know that this situation is difficult, and we've been working to find solutions to get Canadians home safely. I'd like to thank Air Canada, their pilots, crew members, and everyone involved in this effort. We'll continue to be there for Canadians and their loved ones who need help," said The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport and Quebec Lieutenant.
What customers should do:
- Air Canada will operate two repatriation flights using a wide body aircraft with 300 seats, departing October 13 and 14 from Athens to Toronto
- Global Affairs Canada is coordinating local arrangements in Israel and will provide special codes for Canadians wishing to return home, therefore anyone wanting to board those flights should reach out to Global Affairs Canada first
- Air Canada customers with unused return tickets can exchange them for travel on the special repatriation flights to Toronto.
- Passengers without an existing ticket will be able to purchase one on the Air Canada website using the Government code.
- Canadians abroad should contact Global Affairs Canada for more information.
Air Canada Service to Israel
Air Canada has temporarily cancelled flights to Tel Aviv up to and including October 31, 2023. We are monitoring this dynamic situation very closely and will resume operations to Tel Aviv when the situation stabilizes. There is a goodwill policy in place to enable passengers flying to/from Tel Aviv to make changes to their travel, including options for a refund. Air Canada's normal schedule is 10 weekly flights from Canada to Tel Aviv from both Toronto (daily) and Montreal (3 times weekly).
