Air Canada expands Canada-U.S. connectivity with new Summer 2027 routes

Canadians will have more transborder travel options in the summer of 2027 as Air Canada — together with its partner United Airlines — has unveiled expanded non-stop access to U.S. destinations that will provide its customers with convenient connections across the United States.

Beginning next summer, Air Canada will launch new service between Toronto and Louisville, Montréal and Indianapolis, and Edmonton and Newark.

Air Canada will also increase capacity between Edmonton and San Francisco by deploying the larger Airbus A220 on the route.

The airline said that the new routes broaden its U.S. network with new links from Canadian airports to a wider range of U.S. cities.

Toronto-Louisville service will begin in late April, before increasing to daily service in May.

New Montréal-Indianapolis service will add another non-stop U.S. destination from Montréal, while Edmonton-Newark will provide a new direct link to the New York region and convenient connections through one of United Airlines’ global hubs.

Also, beginning next summer, United is launching new seasonal service to St. John’s from its Newark hub, adding new service from Denver to Ottawa and Québec City, increasing flights between Washington, D.C., and Québec City, and increasing daily seats between Denver and Winnipeg by 65 per cent.

The new routes build on Air Canada and United’s long-standing partnership and their Transborder Joint Business Agreement.

Since it was established in 2022, 20 new routes have been created between Canada and the U.S., and more than 4.3 million passengers have flown jointly on United and Air Canada. Together, Air Canada and United Airlines serve 10 Canadian gateways.

For Canadian customers, the partnership plays an important role in supporting connectivity between communities across Canada and the U.S. It brings approximately two million customers connecting to or from the U.S. onto Air Canada’s domestic network each year, providing benefits to more than 50 communities across Canada and strengthening the overall sustainability and connectivity of our domestic services.

Beyond its main hubs, the partnership enables direct transborder services from Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Ottawa, Québec City, Regina, St. John’s and Winnipeg.

Customers also have access to more than 1,200 connecting itineraries, with integrated through-fares that can offer meaningful savings compared with purchasing individual flight segments separately.

Coordinated schedules also provide more departure options, improved connections and greater flexibility during disruptions, helping make the respective networks more resilient and better able to serve customers when travel is disrupted.

Building on these benefits, Air Canada and United Airlines have agreed to renew and expand their Transborder Joint Business Agreement, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals. An application has been submitted to Transport Canada seeking approval of the amended and restated agreement.

Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, and President, Cargo at Air Canada, said that: “Air Canada and United’s long-standing partnership continues to deliver meaningful results for our customers and communities. For nearly three decades, Air Canada and United have worked to facilitate seamless travel and strengthen connectivity between Canada and the United States.”

Galardo continued: “Together, since 2022, we have jointly unlocked over 5 million new transborder seats, and in this spirit, Air Canada will soon add new non-stop travel options from Toronto, Montréal and Edmonton for our customers to reach a broader range of global markets. From Louisville and Indianapolis to Newark, we are giving customers more ways to travel directly to U.S. destinations, together with convenient connections across United’s extensive U.S. network.”

United’s Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, Patrick Quayle said that: “Canada is an incredibly important part of United’s international network, and our partnership with Air Canada has made it easier for families and friends to stay connected, supported economic growth, and created new opportunities to explore unique destinations.”

Quayle continued: “Our schedule has grown every year since our transborder agreement was signed in 2022, and the new routes and flights we’re announcing today further underscore our commitment to investing in Canada and making travel between our two countries easier,”

Air Canada and United Airlines have worked together since 1996 and are long-standing Star Alliance partners and founding members. Their relationship has evolved over nearly three decades to provide customers with more travel options, seamless connections, and reciprocal loyalty benefits between Canada and the United States.