Air Canada plans to launch flights to the U.S. out of Toronto’s island airport in a bid for business passengers that marks a direct challenge to rival Porter Airlines. The airline announced Thursday it will fly planes between Billy Bishop airport (YTZ) and New York (LaGuardia), Boston, Chicago (O’Hare) and Washington, D.C.’s (Dulles), starting next spring for a total of 10 daily return flights.
It will also ramp up its flight frequency to Montreal and Ottawa from the airport.
The launch of transborder trips will follow the arrival of a U.S. customs pre-clearance facility at Billy Bishop that allows passengers to be screened by U.S. border guards before taking off.
The shift comes as part of a renewed focus on business passengers and more profitable routes, as cross-border corporate travel holds steady despite declining demand from leisure travellers put off by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and divisive rhetoric.
“This is our most significant expansion at Toronto island since Air Canada first served the airport 35 years ago,” chief commercial officer Mark Galardo said. “The new transborder routes will especially benefit our loyal customers and business travellers by creating frequent and easy connections between the heart of Canada’s financial capital and the major markets of New York, Boston, Washington and Chicago.”
The move also represents rising competition with a rapidly expanding Porter Airlines, which runs routes out of Billy Bishop – its headquarters and home base – to all six of the urban areas Air Canada is targeting.
Beginning in January, Air Canada will expand its daily services in Canada’s busiest domestic travel corridors by increasing the frequency of return flights to Montréal to nine from eight, and to six from four to Ottawa.
Meanwhile, the start of transborder services from YTZ will begin in the Spring and includes the following new, non-stop return service:
- 4x daily to New York’s LaGuardia Airport
- 3x daily to Boston Logan International Airport
- 2x daily to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and
- 1x daily to Washington Dulles International Airport
All flights will be operated as Air Canada Express by Air Canada’s regional partner Jazz Aviation LP, using a 78-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft.
Air Canada notes that a full cabin redesign will soon begin on the 25 78-seat aircraft to equip them with next generation, well-padded, ergonomic reclining seats that include a seatback multi-use device holder for tablets and phones, as well as a table tray.
Cabins will also be upgraded to a new standard reflective of Air Canada ’s mainline aircraft interiors. The design incorporates colours, textures and tones of those found in Canadian nature.
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