Air Canada is gearing up for its biggest long-haul expansion in years. Between this October and July 2027, the airline plans an average of 57 daily long-haul departures — up 12% on the previous year — and eleven brand-new or returning routes are a big part of that growth. For holidaymakers, that means more direct options from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to beaches, ski slopes and summer city breaks without a connection.
The headline additions are worth knowing. Tenerife gets two first-ever Air Canada routes: from Toronto from October 25, 2026 (twice weekly in winter) and Montreal from October 31 (year-round, building up to three weekly). Both run on the new Airbus A321XLR, the narrowbody jet that's letting the airline stretch into markets it couldn't serve profitably before. Ecuador lands on the map too, with 787s to Quito from Montreal (December 4, 2026) and Toronto (December 5), the latter reviving a route last flown by Rouge in 2020.
Japan is the biggest winter story. From December 17, 2026, Vancouver gains three weekly 787 flights to Sapporo's New Chitose airport — the gateway to Hokkaido's famous powder skiing. At 3,726 nautical miles it becomes Air Canada's shortest-ever route to Asia, and it puts the carrier at four Japanese airports alongside Tokyo Narita, Haneda and Osaka Kansai. United has since matched the Sapporo route from San Francisco, but Vancouver skiers get the first nonstop.
Next summer brings a European push: Vancouver to Guangzhou from May 4, Montreal to Dubrovnik from May 11, Toronto to Oslo from June 2, Toronto to Shannon from June 10 (a returning route last seen in 2018), and both Montreal–Basel and a first-ever Toronto–Nice flight from June 16. The Nice service means Air Canada will double its Côte d'Azur operation alongside the existing Montreal route, which has run since 2014.
Why should you care? If you've been pricing multi-stop itineraries to Tenerife, Sapporo or the French Riviera, nonstop flying changes the maths — shorter total travel time, no tight connections and lower risk of lost bags. The A321XLR routes also typically offer lie-flat business pods on smaller aircraft, which can mean better award availability than widebody routes.
Who's it for? Skiers bound for Hokkaido, snowbirds chasing Canary Islands winter sun, and summer travellers eyeing Norway, Croatia, Switzerland and the south of France. Note that most of these are seasonal: the Tenerife, Quito and Sapporo routes run in winter only, while the European additions are summer-only. Frequencies are modest too — some routes start at just one or two flights a week — so booking early matters. The schedule data reflects what was filed as of late September, and more summer 2027 routes could still be announced. Book through Air Canada or your preferred platform once tickets for your date go on sale; Toronto and Montreal departures give Canadians coast-to-coast access, while connections via Vancouver open the Sapporo route to North American skiers.
