Charter airline Air Transat says it will halt all scheduled flights into and out of Toronto from Thursday until April 30 due to falling demand and new COVID-19 testing restrictions imposed by the federal government.

Air Transat marketing director Debbie Cabana told CTV News Toronto that quarantine rules and the recent requirement to obtain a negative PCR test within 72 hours of embarking on a flight to Canada has impacted bookings.

“The numerous measures imposed by the federal government, including the requirement to present a negative COVID-19 test and to quarantine upon return to Canada, have had a significant impact on our bookings,” Cabana said. “We must, therefore, revise our winter flight schedule, as we have been doing since the beginning of the pandemic, based on the evolution of the situation and demand.”

On Wednesday and Thursday, the only remaining scheduled Air Transat flights departing and arriving Pearson International Airport were to Holguin, Cuba.

Cabana said that flights to and from Montreal to Holguin, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Cancun, Mexico, Puerto Plata and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Paris, France, would continue.

Passengers will automatically be issued refunds in their original method of payment.

Anyone abroad requiring a new return flight to Canada will be rebooked.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the airline to shed more than 60 per cent of its employees.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged Canadians with travel plans abroad to cancel them immediately.