Air Canada is planning a major international expansion for next summer.
On September 3, it announced that it plans to add five destinations to its network and launch seven new routes across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
The additions touch all three of Air Canada’s major hubs in Toronto (YYZ), Montréal (YUL), and Vancouver (YVR). And several of the new routes will put the airline’s growing Airbus A321XLR fleet to work on thinner routes across the Atlantic.
All of the new flights are already on sale for travel in 2027.
Air Canada’s New International Routes for 2027
Five destinations are completely new to Air Canada’s network.
From Toronto, Air Canada will add seasonal flights to Oslo (OSL), Shannon (SNN), and Nice (NCE). Montréal gets new seasonal service to Basel (BSL) and Dubrovnik (DBV), while Vancouver will get a new year-round route to Guangzhou (CAN).
| Route | Starts | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver (YVR) → Guangzhou (CAN) | May 4 | Boeing 787 |
| Toronto (YYZ) → Oslo (OSL) | June 2 | Airbus A321XLR |
| Toronto (YYZ) → Shannon (SNN) | June 10 | Airbus A321XLR |
| Toronto (YYZ) → Nice (NCE) | June 16 | Airbus A330-300 |
| Montréal (YUL) → Dubrovnik (DBV) | May 11 | Boeing 787 |
| Montréal (YUL) → Basel (BSL) | June 16 | Airbus A321XLR |
Air Canada is also bringing back its Toronto to London Heathrow (LHR) daytime flight. This will give it seven new routes in total.
There are several other schedule changes coming. Toronto to Shanghai (PVG) will increase to daily service, while Toronto to Guatemala City (GUA) will become year-round.
Air Canada is also extending its Montréal flights to Tenerife (TFS), Lima (LIM), and Guatemala City to operate year-round.
The A321XLR Is Opening New Doors
Three of Air Canada’s five new destinations will be served by the Airbus A321XLR.
That’s notable because the XLR is much smaller than the widebody aircraft traditionally used for long-haul international flying. Its range allows Air Canada to connect cities across the Atlantic without committing a Boeing 787 or another large aircraft to the route.
For 2027, that means Toronto gets nonstop flights to Oslo and Shannon, while Montréal gets a new connection to Basel. The aircraft will have two cabins, including Air Canada Signature Class with lie-flat seats.
This is a strategy we’re seeing play out elsewhere, too. American and United both announced new international routes in August for next summer that will make use of their own A321XLR fleets.
And Air Canada isn’t done expanding. The airline says more network announcements are coming and teased that details about its first Boeing 787-10 routes will be revealed in the coming months.