MONTRÉAL — Air Canada (AC) and United Airlines (UA) announced six transborder routes for summer 2027 on Friday, October 16. The airlines have also agreed to renew and expand their joint business agreement, subject to regulatory approval.
The Canadian flag carrier plans new service between:
- Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Louisville (SDF), from April 28 through October 31, operating up to daily.
- Montréal (YUL) and Indianapolis (IND), daily from June 1 through September 30.
- Edmonton (YEG) and Newark (EWR), four times weekly from June 1 through October 17.
All three services are scheduled for 2027. The airline also plans to increase capacity between Edmonton and San Francisco (SFO) by deploying the larger Airbus A220 on the route.
Meanwhile, UA plans to add:
- Seasonal service between Newark and St. John’s (YYT), returning after more than a decade.
- Denver (DEN) to Ottawa (YOW).
- Denver to Québec City (YQB).
The carrier also plans to increase flights between Washington Dulles (IAD) and Québec City, and daily seats between Denver and Winnipeg (YWG) by 65%.
“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, and president, cargo.
Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances, said: “Our schedule has grown every year since our transborder agreement was signed in 2022, and the new routes and flights we’re announcing today further underscore our commitment to investing in Canada and making travel between our two countries easier.”
The Transborder Joint Venture
Air Canada and United have maintained their Transborder Joint Business Agreement since 2022, leading to the creation of 20 routes between the United States and Canada, according to the airlines. Airways previously covered the partnership’s expansion for summer 2023.
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.
Transport Canada opened a public interest assessment of the proposal, with consultation running from October 16 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.
Air Canada Cuts
Alongside the additions, Air Canada also plans to remove five U.S. routes from its schedule, according to reporting by *The Points Guy*:
- Vancouver (YVR) to Nashville (BNA).
- Vancouver to Raleigh-Durham (RDU).
- Toronto Pearson to Charleston (CHS).
- Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ) to Boston (BOS).
- Montréal to Seattle (SEA).
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 (WS) has also reduced its U.S. network. *Travel Market Report* reported on October 16 that the airline had discontinued ten transborder routes during 2026: Edmonton to Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Nashville and Atlanta (ATL); Vancouver to Lihue (LIH), Nashville and Boston; Toronto Pearson to Los Angeles (LAX); and Winnipeg to Nashville.
Featured image: Michael Rodeback/Airways
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