Air Canada plans to launch fresh daily services from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to four U.S. destinations: New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Starting in March 2026, Air Canada will operate four daily round-trip flights to New York LaGuardia. Subsequently, during the summer, the airline will introduce three daily flights to Boston Logan, two to Chicago O’Hare, and one to Washington Dulles.
This move by Air Canada signals an escalation in the competition with Porter Airlines, which currently serves these same American cities from Billy Bishop. The new routes reflect the growing rivalry between the two airlines.
The expansion of services is enabled by the upcoming inauguration of U.S. customs pre-clearance at the Toronto Island airport, according to PortsToronto CEO Roelof-Jan Steenstra. The facility is anticipated to open in the near future, allowing passengers to clear American customs before departure while still on Canadian soil.
This announcement coincides with a downturn in Canadian travel to the U.S., as indicated by recent data from Statistics Canada showing a significant decline in the number of Canadian air travelers returning from the U.S. Several airlines, including Air Canada, have adjusted their U.S. routes due to decreased demand.
In addition to the new U.S. routes, Air Canada also disclosed plans to boost the frequency of two domestic routes, with an extra daily flight to Montreal and two to Ottawa. The airline will utilize 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft for these new routes.