Air Canada is set to launch daily flights from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to four major U.S. cities, namely New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. The airline will commence operations with four daily round-trip flights to New York LaGuardia in March 2026, followed by the introduction of three daily flights to Boston Logan, two to Chicago O’Hare, and one to Washington Dulles during the summer.
This move by Air Canada represents a step up in competition against Porter Airlines, which currently serves the same U.S. destinations from Billy Bishop. The expansion is facilitated by the upcoming opening of U.S. customs pre-clearance at the Toronto Island airport, as announced by Roelof-Jan Steenstra, CEO of PortsToronto, during a recent press briefing. This pre-clearance facility is expected to become operational in the near future, allowing passengers to clear American customs before departure while still on Canadian soil.
In light of declining Canadian travel to the U.S., Air Canada’s announcement of new U.S. routes comes at a challenging time for the aviation industry. Statistics Canada data from September indicates a 27.1% drop in Canadian residents returning from the U.S. by air compared to the same period last year. Several airlines, including Air Canada, have already reduced capacity on certain U.S. routes or suspended them entirely.
Additionally, Air Canada revealed plans to enhance its domestic connectivity by increasing the frequency of flights to Montreal and Ottawa. These new routes will be serviced by 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft.
