CANADA-BOUND passengers have been issued a blow as a budget airline scraps routes with just 48 hours notice.
The company cancelled all flights to the country beginning Wednesday, Ocotber 8.
Italian carrier Neos made the shock announcement, issuing immediate refunds to passengers (stock image)[/caption]
Customers of the airline have been issued immediate refunds after the shock announcement.
Italian carrier Neos announced it is suspended its Amritsar–Milan–Toronto route indefinitely.
Shock suspension
The airline “international geopolitical instability” as the reason for the unexpected suspension.
According to a statement from Neos, this instability has caused bookings to plummet.
As a result, low load factors have made the route economically unsustainable.
Neos will now be absent from Canada entirely pending further notice.
Customers who booked directly through www.neosair.com are set to receive an email with detailed refund instructions.
Meanwhile, passengers who booked through a travel agency are advised to contact their travel agent directly for further details.
A 24/7 Live Chat service is available on the Neos website for further details and assistance.
Transatlantic history
Neos entered the transatlantic market less than four years ago with a direct service between Milan Malpensa Airport and New York JFK International Airport.
This route launched in November 2021, served by the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet.
Meanwhile, the Amritsar-Milan-Toronto service launched in April 2023, connecting Canada’s sizable Punjabi diaspora with their homeland, with Milan as a refueling stop.
Flights were operated aboard Neos’ Boeing 787-9, configured with twenty-eight premium economy and three hundred thirty one economy seats.
The route saw around sixteen hours of cumulative flight time plus a lengthy connection in Milan.
It had been scaled back to seasonal service earlier this year due to sustained low load factors before the complete suspension was announced.
What to do after a flight is delayed
TRAVELERS may not know that they could miss their flights even if they show up in time for a delayed departure date.
Flyers are urged to think twice before following the updated travel details sent directly by carriers to their phones.
That’s because airlines can suddenly resolve issues and return a once delayed flight back to its original departure time.
Carriers are always working overtime to ensure that airport schedules are kept on track, so flight times shift throughout the day.
If a flight is delayed, most passengers will get an email or text notifying them of the change and providing a new departure time.
However, unlucky flyers have followed these updated rules, only to arrive at a gate to find their plane gone as the flight left earlier than expected.
Plus, many airlines note in their condition of carriage that they aren’t liable for the flights missed through delay mixups.
Spirit Airlines says, “In the event of a delay, guests are recommended to remain in the gate area for updates and possible early departures.
“Spirit shall not be liable to any guest who missed a flight, which departed earlier than the estimated departure time posted for the delay.”
Both escalating global turmoil and a steep decline in bookings have been cited as the main reasons.
Aviation analytics company Cirium confirmed the suspension of transatlantic routes.
The weekly flight has now been removed until the end of the summer 2026 season.
However, the airline won’t be exiting Amritsar entirely, with its two connections from Rome Fiumicino and Verona to remain.
And residents in the Amritsar area won’t be left without other viable options to travel to Canada.
Qatar Airways offers a one-stop itinerary from Amritsar to Toronto via its Doha hub.
And due to the shorter layover in Doha compared to Neos’ service, passengers will have a shorter total journey time.
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