Passengers should expect changes at Windsor International Airport when flights resume

After a five month hiatus because of COVID-19, Windsor International Airport will resume commercial flights to Toronto next month.

Air Canada will offer two flights a day to Toronto International Pearson Airport starting September 8, with 12pm and 4pm departure times. 

"We're excited to have them back obviously, and have air service again to the Windsor area," said Mark Galvin, the airport's CEO. 

All commercial flights in and out of Windsor were put on hold at the beginning of April when all airlines suspended their flights because of the pandemic.

Passengers can expect a number of differences at the YQG terminal, Galvin explained, like mandatory masks, social distancing marks on the floor and touch-less technology. 

Changes at the terminal

The airport will also have two relaxation zones throughout the terminal where travellers will be able to physically distance and remove their masks if they need to. 

"We find that's a good best practice to have," Galvin explained.

Further to that, the airport is encouraging a "kiss-and-ride" concept for drop-offs, recommending that only ticketed passengers enter the building to limit the number of people inside. 

"That's really our job is to make the terminal as safe an environment as we possibly can and layer those mitigation efforts on top of one another," Galvin said. 

Airlines taking it 'one day' at a time

Earlier this summer, it was announced that Porter Airlines was also scheduled to resume commercial flights out of Windsor in July, but plans were changed. 

"They're making a decision based on what they see in terms of demand," Galvin said, adding that he's in regular communication with all airline partners about when they might return to Windsor. 

"I think they're sort of taking it one day, one week at a time."

The re-opening of the terminal is allowing the airport to call some staff members back to work, following lay-offs earlier this year. The airport hopes to bring more staff back in the near future once flights ramp up. 

Major losses

The last five months have taken a significant financial toll on the airport, with losses in the hundreds of thousands, according to Galvin. 

"We know that this recovery is going to take some time, but certainly this is the first step in that, welcoming back Air Canada with open arms and providing that traveler experience," he said. 

"Hopefully as we move forward, more and more partners come back and more flights come back and we'll kind of ramp up as we do."

Even though it's been a difficult five months, Galvin said he's feeling optimistic and hopeful for the future. 

"Traveling is living, and traveling safely is living safely, and that's kind of ... what we're looking at."