At the request of the
, 400 Canadian citizens —who had been stranded in Peruvian territory after a national emergency was decreed by the
— left on a special flight on Tuesday.
The Air Canada flight departed from Air Group No. 8 of the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) at 3:40 p.m. (local time) and is expected to arrive in Toronto at 00:20 on Wednesday.
It is a Boeing 777, with capacity for 40 seats in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 336 in economy class.
Among the first group are people who had previously purchased their airline tickets, but who —due to the emergency decreed in Peru— were unable to embark on time to return home.
Following the established protocols —and once gathered at the Canadian Embassy— the foreign citizens underwent a medical check-up at the aforementioned headquarters located in the Peruvian capital city.
Air Canada reported that it will operate two other special flights between Toronto and Lima —scheduled for March 26 and 27— also in a 400-seat Boeing 777 aircraft.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis in the global aviation industry that is already having a significant impact on the air transport industry, travelers, shippers, and the economy.
Air Canada noted that its priority is to allow Canadians, who are abroad (in this case in Peru), to return to the North American country.