Canadian carriers see spring flying boost, but costs cloud horizon

• Canadian carriers are seeing a bounce in spring travel after a slump due to the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, with the country's largest airport bracing for its busiest travel day since the onset of the pandemic this Friday. 
• But just as COVID-19 shows signs of ebbing, surging oil prices due to the Russian-Ukraine crisis and high regulatory costs are casting shadows ahead of the busy summer vacation season. 
• Canadian air traffic is recovering more slowly than in the United States due to tougher virus restrictions. But after rules eased in February, flights to some sun destinations rebounded in March to levels similar to those seen before Omicron hit winter travel, data from airline data company Cirium suggest. 
• Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday said it is expecting March 11 to be the busiest travel day since the start of the pandemic, with about 85,000 passengers set to arrive or depart ahead of spring break next week in the country's most populous province, Ontario.

(Source: Reuters)