Canada turning to foreign airlines to bring home citizens stranded by pandemic

Canada has enlisted the help of nearly a dozen foreign airlines to bring home thousands of Canadians stranded abroadin remote mountain regions, on secluded islandsand in locked-down countries that Canadian carrierscan't reach as the pandemictightens its grip.

The federal government reports that after arranging transport home for about 25,000 people,it'snow addressingthe last 20 per cent of outstandingcases of stranded travellers. Butit still says itwon't be able to get everyone home before the pandemic itself ends.

"These last folks are going to be tough," said Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.

"Most of them are small numbers of people, often in isolated or remote places. Some of them will be left there."

The National:Ottawa in final stages of bringing home Canadians stuck overseas during pandemic

Ottawa in final stages of bringing home Canadians stuck overseas during pandemic

4 years ago

Duration 2:04

Months-long effort to bring Canadians home from countries locked down because of the COVID-19 pandemic has entered final stages.

The repatriation effort is being spearheaded by Global Affairs Canada, which has completely retooled itsoperations to turnnearly every available employee into a full-time travel agent. Staffers who used to write ministerial briefing notes are now booking hotels, buses and flights.

The department, with the help ofMPs, embassiesand consular staffaround the world, has returned more than 25,000 Canadians from 81countries since the pandemic began.

International airlineswere called inbecause, for a variety of logistical reasons,Canadian airlines couldn't fly to some of the placeswhere Canadians were stranded, such as the Philippines,Indiaand somecountries in Africa.

Some countriesshut down their airspace. Otherstemporarily banned people from travelling to airports without government documentation.

While Canadian airlines including Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet andSunwingwere involved in repatriation efforts, more than halfof the Canadians brought home to dateflew on foreign airlines, said Oliphant.

"I've never seen anything like this before," he said."It's actually an overwhelming diplomatic success ... The international airlines have been incredible. We would have not been able to bring tens of thousands home withouttheir help."

'Sweeper flights' picked up Canadians

One of the problems facing Canadian airlines was a lack of landing rights in certain African countries.Ethiopian Airlines offered to criss-crossthe continent collecting small numbers of Canadians stuck in ten countries, including Guinea, Cameroonand Sudan, said Global Affairs.

In the Philippines, wherethe government has temporarily forbidden travel between the islands to curb the spread of COVID-19,Philippine Airlines ran"sweeper flights" that stopped on various islandsand gatheredup Canadians.

In India, Qatar Airways is collecting the largest number ofCanadians being repatriated froma single country. So far, 21 chartered Qatar Airwaysflights carrying more than 4,000 people have touched down in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Global Affairs saidinternational airlines were key to getting access to countries wherecross-border flights aredwindling and local travel restrictions remain in place.

"For effectiveness and efficiency, the government has in some cases worked with companies that already had an existing route and relationships on the ground," said department spokesperson Katherine Cyrin a statement to CBC News.

Before the pandemic, for example,Air Canada had no problems withflying regularlyto India but on March 22, when Indiashut down its airspace, it became a logistical nightmare.

Transport Canada regulates flight safety and requires that pilots rest after long-haul flights. India's pandemic restrictions meantflight crews couldn't leave Indian airports to sleep at a hotel without being forced into14 days ofquarantine.

"Every country has isolation requirements," said Oliphant."The airlines and the unions have rest requirements and it became very difficult."

Complaints over costs, lack of physical distancing

As repatriationflights continue to land in Canada, the government is facing complaints about poor communication, hefty ticket prices and a lack of physical distancing onboard flights.

It cost Canadian Lokesh Puri's family of four $12,000 to flyhome from Mumbai in early April.

"The Canadian government could have done a better job," said Puri. "If they really want to help, they could reduce the prices of these flights. It's putting people in debt. I have to break one of my savings bonds to pay for this flight."

Kanwer Taggar said heexpected to see passengers spread out on his Qatar Airways flight from India onTuesday.

"Three thousand dollarsper person for a one-way ticket and no social distancing on the plane," said Taggar."It was fully loaded."

'Some of them will be left there'

The federal government says it's offering $5,000loans to help Canadians cover the costs of coming home from abroad. But these commercial flights are particularlyexpensive because they're flying empty before they pick up their passengers, and because there arenofirst-class fees or last-minute bookings to subsidize the seats.

Global Affairs says it has paid over $147,000 to Canadian airlines to backstop the cost by paying for empty seats on planes. The department is doing the same for foreign airlines but says itdoes not know how much it has spent on them yet.

NDP foreign affairs criticJack Harris saidthe repatriation effort hasn't beenas generous as it should be. He said the government should be subsidizing the cost of tickets for those experiencingextremehardship and it's making people jump through too many hoops to secure the loans.

"I don't think there was enough flexibility," said Harris. "People applying are finding it very difficult to get their loan approved."

In some cases, he said,families are staying abroad until the price of flights drops.

Conservativetransport critic Todd Doherty said he wants to know what the whole repatriation program will cost in the end. He saidthe aviation industry is hurtingright now and he understands the daunting challenges involved intrying to get Canadians out of countries with travelrestrictions in place.

"This is a difficult one," he said."The stories we're hearing in some of these countries where people are seen as foreigners they are fearing for their lifebecause they are being seen as carriers of the virus."

'It's like a marathon'

Thousands of Canadians in small groupsare still stuck in different parts of the world. The federal government says that numberisn't largeenough to justify sendingchartered planes, so Canada is asking other countries if they have empty seats on flights and is offering in return tohelp repatriate their own citizens.

"Its always right at the end of the game you have some of the most challenging cases," said Oliphant. "It'slike a marathon at times."

Since the beginning of the crisis, Foreign Affairs MinisterFranois-Philippe Champagnehas said some Canadians will remain stranded for the pandemic's duration and that message hasn't changed.

"Unfortunately, despite our very best efforts, it will most likely not be possible to ensure the return of all Canadians who wish to come home," he said on April 2.

The government says it will help those strandedpeople shelter in place with consular support until the pandemic passes.