Air Canada drops New York JFK and Charleston routes amid U.S. capacity cuts
The airline has also indefinitely suspended all flights to Cuba due to a fuel crisis on the island.
TORONTO · Air Canada has cut at least five U.S. routes this year, including flights from Toronto to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and to Charleston, South Carolina. The airline has also suspended all its Cuban operations indefinitely. These moves come as the airline's capacity on U.S. routes has declined by around 10% over the past two years, according to a Financial Post report citing a source familiar with the matter. The report linked the reduction to diplomatic and trade tensions between Canada and the United States. The New York JFK service from Toronto was scheduled to restart on October 25 but has been removed from Air Canada's schedule. The airline already operates a substantial number of flights to other New York area airports, with up to 34 daily services to LaGuardia and Newark from various Canadian cities. Air Canada had previously ended its JFK service in 2016 before bringing it back in 2023.
The Charleston route was launched in March 2024 but saw low passenger demand. Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows the route had an average load factor of 66.5% between March 2024 and July 2026, with no monthly figure reaching 70%. Air Canada had already included Charleston in a broader cancellation of U.S. routes. Novello Desserts reported in October that the airline was dropping five U.S. routes, including Charleston.
Flights to Cuba were initially suspended in February due to a fuel crisis. The Cuban government warned airlines that Jet A-1 fuel would no longer be commercially available at its airports. Air Canada operated empty flights southbound to repatriate approximately 3,000 Canadian tourists. The airline hoped to resume services by March 11, but in June it announced the suspension would continue indefinitely. Toronto was a major hub for Air Canada's Cuban network, with weekly flights to Cayo Coco, Varadero, Holguín and Santa Clara. Other Canadian carriers, WestJet and Air Transat, also ultimately suspended all flights to Cuba after initially attempting workarounds. Despite these cuts, Toronto remains Air Canada's busiest airport, where it holds a 40% to 50% market share.
With files from Simple Flying