Air Canada and United Airlines Expand Partnership With New US Routes for Summer 2027

October 19, 2026 Team Contributor

Even as fewer Canadians are travelling to the US amid geopolitical upheaval, United Airlines and Air Canada have floated a proposal to expand their existing joint partnership, in place since 2022.

The proposal, submitted by Air Canada and United Airlines to the Minister of Transport, falls under the Canada Transportation Act. The ambitious plan includes adding new routes, reworking the transborder partnership, and expanding the network for the coming summer.

Travel to the US becomes easier as Air Canada proposes opening three new non-stop routes between major Canadian cities and their US counterparts. The new flights will connect.

Toronto with Louisville,
Montréal with Indianapolis, and
Edmonton with Newark.

Air Canada has announced plans to deploy the larger Airbus A220 on the Edmonton–San Francisco route to handle more people. Currently, Air Canada operates daily non-stop flights between Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) using Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets (offering 12 Business Class seats and 64 Economy Class seats).

On the other side, United Airlines aims to absorb spikes by offering seasonal service between Newark and St. John’s.

Also, there’s more.

New Denver flights to Ottawa and Québec City
More service between Washington, D.C., and Québec City
65% more daily seats between Denver and Winnipeg

Since 2022, the Air Canada and United Airlines partnership has opened up 20 new Canada-U.S. routes, and over 4.3 million travellers have flown with both airlines on a single trip. Together, they serve 10 Canadian gateways, giving you more choice when planning your next trip.

“Air Canada and United’s long-standing partnership continues to deliver meaningful results for our customers and communities. For nearly three decades, Air Canada and United have worked to facilitate seamless travel and strengthen connectivity between Canada and the United States. Together, since 2022, we have jointly unlocked over 5 million new transborder seats. In this spirit, Air Canada will soon add new non-stop travel options from Toronto, Montréal and Edmonton for our customers to reach a broader range of global markets,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, and President, Cargo at Air Canada.

More routes mean more options, but also more to compare. If you’re planning travel between Canada and the U.S., a travel advisor can map out the smartest route for your trip and handle the details from start to finish.

Before the expanded partnership can take effect, it needs Transport Canada’s approval. The regulator is assessing the proposal’s impact on competition and the public interest, and travellers can weigh in through a public consultation open until November 15, 2026. You can share your responses.