Air Canada adds U.S. and regional routes for 2026

Published on Sep 21, 2025, 1:36 pm CDT

6 min read

Air Canada is shifting from cuts to growth with new transborder flying in summer 2026 and fresh regional links this winter. Starting May 1, 2026, the carrier plans seasonal service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to San Antonio International Airport (SAT) three times weekly, and daily flights from Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH). Domestically, daily Ottawa Macdonald, Cartier International Airport (YOW) links to Fredericton International Airport (YFC) and Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport (YQM) start December 15, 2025, with Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) on December 2.

Key Points

Why it matters: New U.S. routes and regional links expand choices after a year of belt tightening.
Travel impact: Added options from Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, and Vancouver, plus more seats on Sudbury to Toronto.
What's next: Bathurst and North Bay service will end in early 2026 as part of the network reset.
Q400 aircraft will fly the new Canadian domestic services operated by Air Canada Express.
Seasonal U.S. routes begin May 1, 2026, and are now on sale.

Snapshot

Beginning December 2025, Air Canada will launch daily Ottawa to Fredericton and Ottawa to Moncton flights, and a three-times-weekly Vancouver to Fort McMurray service. All three will be operated by Air Canada Express with Q400 turboprops, timed to feed the airline's domestic and sun network via Ottawa and Vancouver. On February 1, 2026, Toronto to Sudbury will rise from two to three daily flights, a 50 percent seat boost. The growth continues into summer with three seasonal U.S. additions from May 1, 2026, linking Toronto to San Antonio and Montréal to Cleveland and Columbus. These moves arrive as the carrier trims unviable stations, including planned suspensions at Bathurst and North Bay in late January 2026.

Background

Air Canada spent much of 2025 balancing demand and costs, including labor turbulence and selective transborder reductions. While operations stabilized after August, the network still showed gaps in mid-size U.S. and Canadian city connectivity. The new routes address several of those holes by restoring cross-border links to Ohio and introducing long-requested access to San Antonio, a fast-growing Texas market. Regionally, New Brunswick gains daily nonstops to Ottawa, improving one-stop reach to Western Canada and sun destinations, and Fort McMurray secures a Vancouver link useful to both energy and leisure travelers. The trade-off, however, is the withdrawal from smaller markets, notably Bathurst and North Bay, which the airline says are not commercially viable under current conditions. For labor context, see our prior coverage, Air Canada crews reject wage deal, dispute moves to mediation.

Latest Developments

New U.S. routes begin May 1, 2026, from Toronto and Montréal

Air Canada has filed three seasonal transborder routes starting May 1, 2026. Toronto Pearson to San Antonio will operate three times weekly, complementing existing Texas coverage and opening a new leisure and business corridor. From Montréal, daily flights to Cleveland and Columbus will rebuild connectivity to Ohio, a state with strong healthcare, tech, and education travel demand. Third-party schedules indicate Airbus A220 service on Toronto to San Antonio and Embraer 175s on the Montréal routes. Flights are visible in booking channels, and early fares and award space have appeared on multiple dates. As seasonal adds, the schedules may flex as summer 2026 approaches, so travelers should recheck times and operating days as departures near.

Ottawa to New Brunswick, plus Vancouver to Fort McMurray this winter

From December 15, 2025, daily Q400 flights will connect Ottawa to Fredericton and Moncton, with returns starting December 15 and 16 respectively. Fort McMurray gains a Vancouver link from December 2, operating Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, widening connection options to Western Canada and transpacific gateways. All three routes are year-round in the initial schedule, with sales live. The airline frames these as strategically timed banks that expand choices across its domestic and sun network, particularly helpful for one-stop reach to British Columbia or beach destinations via Ottawa. Travelers in Northern Alberta gain new one-stop options across Air Canada's West Coast hub.

Capacity up in Sudbury, suspensions at Bathurst and North Bay

Effective February 1, 2026, the Toronto to Sudbury shuttle will increase from two to three daily flights, which Air Canada pegs as a 50 percent seat increase. As part of the same regional review, the carrier will suspend Bathurst and North Bay service on January 30, 2026, citing commercial viability. The airline says the suspensions will follow its obligations under the Canada Transportation Act, while continuing to offer more than 500 daily domestic flights this winter across 49 Canadian destinations. Affected customers should be offered rebooking or refunds per standard policies.

Analysis

Strategically, these adds signal a cautious return to U.S. growth while deepening Canadian regional connectivity. San Antonio becomes a fresh U.S. destination for Toronto, with the A220's range, right-sized cabin, and economics well suited for three-weekly seasonal demand. In Montréal, daily E175s to Cleveland and Columbus restore business-friendly day-trip options and Aeroplan feed to United's Midwest network via CLE, while serving sizable visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic to Ohio. Domestically, Ottawa to New Brunswick provides a clean, single-stop path to Western Canada and sun markets, easing pressure on Toronto and Montréal. Vancouver to Fort McMurray helps Northern Alberta travelers bypass Calgary for West Coast and Asia connections, which can be schedule-competitive on some city pairs. The costs are real, particularly for Bathurst and North Bay, where limited yields and high unit costs make sustained service difficult. Overall, the portfolio tilts toward defensible, connectivity-rich spokes that improve bank structures without overcommitting capacity, a prudent step after a choppy year.

Final Thoughts

For travelers, the headline is more choice. If you fly from Toronto or Montréal to Texas or Ohio, the summer 2026 schedule adds useful nonstop options, and Ottawa to New Brunswick improves winter connectivity for both business and leisure itineraries. Fort McMurray's Vancouver link is a welcome westbound alternative with solid onward choices to British Columbia and Asia. Keep an eye on seasonal adjustments as summer approaches, and verify operating days before locking in connections. As always, shop across fares and Aeroplan awards to maximize value on these Air Canada new routes 2026.