Air Canada and United Airlines announce six new Canada-U.S. routes for 2027
The airlines also plan to renew and expand their joint business agreement, which is now under a public interest assessment.
Explainer
Air Canada and United Airlines announced six new routes between Canada and the United States for summer 2027 on Friday.
The airlines also plan to renew and expand their transborder joint business agreement, subject to regulatory approval.
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“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,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, Patrick Quayle, said the new routes “further underscore our commitment to investing in Canada and making travel between our two countries easier.”
What are the new routes?
Air Canada will launch three new seasonal services.
It will fly from Toronto to Louisville starting April 28, 2027, increasing to daily service in May.
Montréal to Indianapolis and Edmonton to Newark flights will begin on June 1, 2027.
The Montréal service will operate daily, while the Edmonton to Newark route will fly four times weekly.
Air Canada will also deploy the larger Airbus A220 on its Edmonton to San Francisco route to increase capacity.
United Airlines will launch seasonal Newark to St. John’s flights, restoring a connection that has been absent for more than a decade.
It will also introduce new Denver services to Ottawa and Québec City.
United will increase Washington Dulles to Québec City frequencies and raise daily seat capacity between Denver and Winnipeg by 65 percent.
Dennis Hogan, chief executive of St. John’s International Airport, said the Newark route reconnects the city with Newark for the first time in more than a decade.
Stéphane Poirier, president and CEO of Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, called the announcements a “game changer for Québec City.”
“A new direct link to Denver, year-round service to Chicago, and five weekly flights to Washington Dulles are exactly the kind of connections our tourism industry and business community need to thrive,” Poirier said.
What is the joint business agreement?
The airlines have maintained a Transborder Joint Business Agreement since 2022.
The arrangement allows them to coordinate schedules and offer integrated fares and connections across their networks.
Air Canada says the partnership has enabled 20 new transborder routes since its launch and supports more than 1,200 connecting itineraries.
The airline says it also brings approximately two million passengers connecting to or from the U.S. onto its domestic network each year, supporting services to more than 50 Canadian communities.
The airlines have now applied to Transport Canada for approval of an amended agreement.
The proposed update would add Canada, U.S. routes currently excluded from the arrangement, allowing the carriers to coordinate pricing, schedules, marketing and capacity, and share revenue across most of their transborder operations.
Air Canada says coordinated schedules can give passengers more departure options, better connections, and greater flexibility during disruptions.
It also says “integrated through-fares” can save passengers money on connecting itineraries compared with booking each flight segment separately.
What is the status of the regulatory review?
Transport Canada opened a public interest assessment of the proposal on October 16.
The consultation period runs through November 15, 2026.
The assessment considers impacts on Canadian travelers, the economy, the transportation system and competition, as well as regional, community and rights-related considerations.
The Minister of Transport can authorize the proposal, impose conditions or refuse it.
Are any routes being cut?
Alongside the additions, Air Canada plans to remove five U.S. routes from its schedule, according to reporting by The Points Guy.
Air Canada told the publication that the changes were for commercial reasons and that it regularly reviews its schedule to align capacity with customer demand and travel patterns.
WestJet has also reduced its U.S. network, discontinuing ten transborder routes during 2026, Travel Market Report reported on October 16.
The expansion follows other recent network announcements from Air Canada, including new seasonal flights from Montreal to Seville in 2027.
With files from The Jet Set, Airways Magazine and Travel Radar