In the news: Airlines overhauling routes, RCAF retention via pay hike, gear boosting

By Canadian Press on January 8, 2026.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed …

Airlines overhaul routes as Canadians shun U.S.

Canadian airlines pulled back in a big way from the United States over the past year and boosted flight volumes elsewhere — especially the Caribbean — with no sign of a cross-border rebound on the horizon.

Figures from aviation data firm Cirium show that Canada-U.S. flight volumes fell more than 14 per cent year-over-year in the fourth quarter among Canada’s five largest carriers.

Florida, California and Nevada saw some of the biggest drops in capacity from Canadian carriers, with volumes to Las Vegas down by a third from a year earlier.

As passengers looked farther afield, airlines ramped up flight volumes in the Caribbean and South America — by 20 per cent for Air Canada and 81 per cent for WestJet, according to Cirium.

Pay hike, gear boosting RCAF retention: commander

A substantial entry level pay hike for pilots and the acquisition of new and advanced aircraft are “absolutely” helping to shore up Royal Canadian Air Force pilot retention and morale, says the force’s commander.

In a wide-ranging recent interview with The Canadian Press, Commander Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet said she is seeing signs of progress despite the protracted personnel crisis gripping the air force, which remains short of roughly 2,000 trained personnel.

“When you talk about a pay raise like that, it absolutely had a positive effect on the retention of our personnel, including pilots,” Speiser-Blanchet said. She noted her evidence is anecdotal and comes from touring bases and speaking with the rank-and-file.

Calls for caution as Carney prepares to meet Xi

Former Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip is a longtime critic of China, who has accused its government of “crimes against humanity” after a crackdown on dissent in the Chinese special administrative region.

But Chan said it is time for Canadians to look east again, as Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares for a trip to China where he will meet President Xi Jinping next week.

Chan, who was a member of Hong Kong’s legislature for more than 20 years before moving to Vancouver, said Carney should approach the meeting “cautiously.”

He said Canada faces a new reality.

Families mark 6 years since Flight PS752 downing

Victims’ families will mark the six-year anniversary of the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in Iran with events in Ontario and British Columbia today.

The plane was shot down on Jan. 8, 2020 by two Iranian missiles just minutes after taking off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents in Canada.

The association of families of Flight PS752 victims is hosting a ceremony in Richmond Hill, Ont., today to commemorate the anniversary.

It says other events are also planned in Windsor, Ont., and Vancouver.

Chrystia Freeland to resign as MP on Friday

Longtime Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland, who was a driving force in Canadian politics throughout the past decade, will resign as a member of Parliament on Friday.

“It has been an immense honour to serve my constituents and all Canadians in Parliament since 2013,” Freeland said in a social media post Wednesday.

“Going forward, I will continue to support and help build Canada in every way I can, while championing the brave fight of the people of Ukraine, a cause I have been committed to my entire life.”

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he had appointed her as an adviser on economic development in his country. Later that day, she announced her immediate resignation as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s special representative for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Leaders visit First Nation in frozen water crisis

Politicians travelled to get a look at a First Nation in northern Manitoba that’s scrambling to clean up and fix up after a frozen water catastrophe buckled ceilings, swamped homes in sewage and forced thousands out.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, federal Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak were among the delegation that toured Pimicikamak Cree Nation on Wednesday.

With them came renewed supplies of bottled water and food.

But the biggest need? Plumbers.

—

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2026

The Canadian Press