Air Canada is cutting schedules through July and August in order to reduce passenger volume in light of a series of flight delays, cancellations and general chaos in the airline industry.

Reports indicate that more than half of flights at some Canadian airports have been cancelled or delayed. While the phenomenon is being experienced throughout North America, some of the worse scenarios have played out at Toronto Pearson. The situation is so bad, federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has called the baggage chaos experienced at Canada’s busiest airport “unacceptable.”

President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, Michael Rousseau says the surge in travel has created unprecedented and unforeseen strains on all aspects of the global aviation system.

Recurring flight delays are being experienced around the world, says Rousseau, resulting in airport congestion and a “complex array” of persistent factors affecting airlines and their partners. Rousseau says the result has been flight cancellations and customer service shortfalls for which they “sincerely apologize.”

He says the schedule reductions through the busy summer months are intended to help reduce traffic volumes even though they will result in further flight cancellations affecting travellers.