Airlines scrambled to start bringing thousands of Canadian tourists home from across the globe as new limitations begin Wednesday on what airports will be open to international traffic.

Toronto’s Pearson International, as well as the international airports in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver will take in the brunt of international passengers as a means to limit COVID-19’s entry into Canada.

There are a few exceptions: Flights from the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and Saint Pierre and Miquelon may fly to their normal destinations, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. Canadian domestic flights are also excepted.

Sunwing and WestJet were first to respond publicly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s declaration that Canadians abroad should return home as soon as possible.

Sunwing sent four planes — three from Toronto and one from Montreal — to bring more than 500 Canadians home from Honduras, Aruba and Panama, all countries that have announced the imminent closure of their borders.

Sunwing also cancelled all southbound flights starting Tuesday until April 9 to focus on repatriating customers.

“The health and well-being of our customers and our employees is our highest priority and we are working around the clock to keep them safe,” Stephen Hunter, Sunwing’s president and CEO, said in a news release.

“It’s important that we do our part to contain the spread of COVID-19, while assuring our customers and their families that we are fully committed to bring each and every one of them home to Canada,” Sunwing said it has approximately 100,000 customers “in destination.”

WestJet announced similar plans. WestJet said that starting March 22, it will suspend scheduled commercial operations for all international and U.S. (transborder) flights for 30 days.

“To be clear, this means our final commercially scheduled flights from international and transborder destinations will launch on Sunday night by 11:59 p.m. local time; after that, we will be operating rescue and repatriation flights with our partners,” WestJet president Ed Sims said in a news release. “As of tonight (Tuesday night), international and transborder tickets are no longer available for sale during this 30 day period.”

WestJet promised lower prices on remaining seats.

“While this is a difficult time, we now have the responsibility as a Canadian airline to bring our citizens home,” said Sims.

WestJet has also been keeping track — through the Public Health Agency of Canada — of flights that had passengers who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.

Those fights are:

Feb. 28: Flight 1199, from Phoenix to Toronto, affecting rose 18-22

March 3: Flight 2, from London (Gatwick) to Calgary, affecting rows 7-14

March 5: Flight 2, from London (Gatwick) to Calgary, affecting rows 36-40

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March 10: Flight 3326, from Vancouver to Kelowna, affecting rose 10-16

March 11: Flight 2, from London (Gatwick) to Toronto, affecting rows 10-16

March 11: Flight 1157, from San Juan-to-Toronto, affecting rows 2-6

March 12: Flight 1201, New York (LaGuardia) to Toronto, affecting rows 3-9.

March 12: Flight 665, Toronto to Calgary, affecting rows 19-27.

Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, the head of the Canadian Airports Council says airports are poised to lose $1.3 billion over the pandemic.

Daniel-Robert Gooch said many major airlines will be operating at half capacity by next month, causing airport fees to dry up.

The council president is asking Transport Minister Marc Garneau for relief on the roughly $380 million in rent that Canadian airport authorities pay Ottawa each year.

Support could come as a rent deferral or reduction, which would help offset fixed costs such as runway maintenance, Gooch said.

The Canadian Airports Council represents 53 airports, including the country’s three largest, which account for the bulk of federal airport rent.

Gooch said airports directly employ about 194,000 workers, some of whom will see their jobs in jeopardy as terminals and check-in counters clear out.

Earlier Tuesday, the head economist at the International Air Transport Association said revenue losses are already surpassing the trade group’s worst-case projection of $113 billion (US) and threatening to send multiple airlines into bankruptcy.

The federal government is continuing to ask travellers arriving at all major Canadian airports to self-isolate for 14 days after. Anyone arriving sick is encouraged to tell Customs officials and are supposed to receive a mask kit, according to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

With files from the Canadian Press

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