Overview
- Air Canada announced on Monday, July 6 that it will halt or delay eight transborder routes for the coming fall and winter, including three Toronto/Montreal–Midwest cancellations, three Florida seasonal flights shifted to December, and two Montreal/Toronto–JFK services that will not return this winter.
- The airline said higher jet fuel costs and lower demand for U.S. travel are the reasons for the cuts and that it regularly reviews schedules to align capacity with demand.
- To keep a New York presence while JFK services remain suspended, Air Canada plans to increase service between Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport and LaGuardia to as many as five daily flights this winter and continue Pearson–LaGuardia and Newark links.
- Passengers on the affected routes should expect cancellations or later start dates and may see capacity moved between airports rather than permanent route exits, with Air Canada saying it intends to resume JFK service when conditions improve.
- The moves follow earlier summer capacity reductions by Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat and come as Statistics Canada data show a 28% drop in Canadians returning by air from the U.S. between May 2024 and May 2026, which reduces demand that makes some routes unprofitable.