With COVID cases on the rise in the rest of Canada, new variants, and vaccines just beginning to roll out, the recovery line for the restart of travel is getting further and further out of reach, while our financial losses grow. Atlantic Canada's airports lost over six million passengers in 2020, and $140 million in revenue. Even after all of the cost-cutting, there was a net loss of over $80 million.
The unemployment rate in the Atlantic aviation sector is now over 50%. These were well-paying and secure jobs. The year 2021 is not looking much better. We are down from over 140 routes to just 29, with only nine of those connecting us to the rest of Canada. Our airports have asked for rent relief until this sector recovers. In a good year, Canada's airports have paid $415 million to the federal government in rent. Now, our airports need government support as revenue has completely dried up.
What was announced was a good first step, but it does not go far enough to help Canada's medium-sized and large airports recover. Airports like Halifax Stanfield and St. John's will only receive rent relief for one more year. To put this into perspective, in the case of St. John's, with projected revenues down substantially again in 2021, the airport is forecasting a savings of approximately $450,000 from federal rent relief. By comparison, its borrowing to get through the pandemic is currently anticipated to peak at $30 million. Much more needs to be done.
Our airports have also asked for operational support. We look forward to the details and the rollout of the $206 million in the RATI program. This will be required to help stabilize the losses for our regional airports in Atlantic Canada so that we can get—