Watch Now


Air Canada adds flights to move cargo blocked by Vancouver flooding

Airline offers temporary alternative for international, domestic shipments that normally move by land

Air Canada is putting in more planes, and upsizing existing flights, to increase cargo capacity in and out of Vancouver while freight routes recover from damaging floods. (Photo: Air Canada)

Air Canada has significantly boosted cargo capacity into and out of Vancouver from its three domestic hubs to help keep vital supply lines open following devastating floods and landslides that have wrecked rail lines and blocked truck routes.

Increased cargo-only flights and use of larger aircraft on passenger trips will add 646 tons of capacity above planned levels, providing an outlet for shippers experiencing transport delays. The 45% surge in cargo capacity to British Columbia will last until Nov. 30, the airline said Monday.

Air Canada (OTC US: ACDVF) has substituted Boeing 787, 777 and Airbus A330-300 widebody aircraft for smaller aircraft on 28 scheduled passenger flights and will operate 13 extra all-cargo flights between Toronto, Montreal and Calgary with large aircraft, Jason Berry, vice president of cargo, said in a statement.

“These aircraft will help move mail and perishables such as seafood, as well as automotive parts and other industrial goods,” he said. 


Management is also working with regional partner Jazz Aviation to provide additional regional cargo capacity by temporarily converting an Air Canada Express De Havilland Dash 8-400 from its normal passenger configuration to a special freighter with the seats removed. Jazz, which operates as Air Canada Express, last year ordered 13 modification kits from the manufacturer to allow floor-loading of cargo in the passenger cabin. The temporary freighter can carry 18,000 pounds of cargo and will be in service this week, Air Canada said. 

Last week, Air Canada quickly upsized aircraft on 14 passenger flights into Vancouver to provide more airlift for freight.

The carrier said it “continues to monitor the situation in British Columbia very closely and will adjust its passenger and cargo schedule accordingly.”

Heavy rain from a major storm more than a week ago led to flooding and landslides that washed out sections of CN and Canadian Pacific rail tracks, cutting off the Port of Vancouver from rail service. The storm also closed many roads in the province, limiting truck access to the port.


Vancouver is a major ocean gateway for imports and exports in Canada, as well as a key intermodal route for Asia freight going to the U.S. heartland through Chicago.

CN and CP crews are working to restore rail service. CP officials said they expect to resume service in the region later this week. The delays have slowed vessel unloading, with 47 ships waiting for a berth as of Monday.

Shipping line Maersk told customers that normal freight flows in and out of Vancouver will be impacted for several weeks by the disruption. 

Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Cargo attracts small European passenger airlines

Latvian airline leases A330 jets, removes seats for cargo

US passenger airlines seek approval for cargo in seat areas


Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, he was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at [email protected]