Air Canada announced Friday it will suspend service to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City this summer as jet fuel prices continue to surge amid the ongoing Iran war. The Canadian carrier will halt all flights from Toronto and Montreal to JFK beginning June 1, with service expected to resume October 25.

The airline is also cutting service to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah starting June 30, with flights not expected to resume until 2027. The cuts are set to last at least five months for the New York routes.

"Jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict, affecting some lower profitability routes and flights which now are no longer economically feasible," Air Canada said in a statement. "Schedule adjustments including some frequency reductions are being made in response."

The airline will continue to operate 34 daily flights from Canada to the New York area through LaGuardia and Newark airports. Air Canada operates more heavily out of those two airports than JFK, making the suspension part of what appears to be a consolidation strategy.

Jet fuel prices reached $4.32 per gallon on Thursday, up from $2.50 the day before the Iran war began in late February.

The cuts also affect domestic Canadian routes. Service between Vancouver and Fort McMurray in Alberta will end May 28, while flights from Toronto to Yellowknife will cease August 30. Neither route has been given a resumption date. A planned new route between Montreal and Guadalajara, Mexico has been indefinitely suspended.

Air Canada said affected customers will be contacted with alternative travel options. The airline emphasized the changes represent only about one percent of its total annual flying capacity for 2026.

The fuel crisis has impacted airlines across North America. Several U.S. carriers including JetBlue, Southwest, American Airlines, and United Airlines have increased checked baggage fees to offset rising fuel costs. WestJet announced earlier this month it would consolidate flights on lower-demand routes.

John Gradek, a faculty lecturer on aviation management at McGill University in Montreal, told CBC News this week that the aviation industry faces "the worst crisis we've ever had" and that even if oil supplies resume, it could take years to restore refining capacity in the region.

Indigo Girls

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