Air Canada expands Toronto global connectivity

The airline will launch new nonstop services from Toronto to Oslo, Norway; Shannon, Ireland; and Nice, France. It will also bring back its Toronto-London Heathrow Day-tripper service, increase Toronto-Shanghai to daily and turn its new Toronto-Guatemala City route into a year-round operation.

The expansion strengthens Toronto Pearson’s position as Air Canada’s largest hub, with the carrier connecting the Greater Toronto Area to more than 150 destinations in Canada and worldwide.

For travelers, some of the new routes come with a little extra bragging rights. Air Canada says Toronto-Oslo will be the only nonstop service between North America and Norway, while Toronto-Shannon will be the only nonstop service between Canada and Shannon. Toronto-Nice will also become the only nonstop link between the French Riviera city and Toronto.

The new services are part of a broader push by Air Canada to squeeze more international flying out of Toronto, with the airline clearly betting that demand for long-haul travel will continue to grow.

“Toronto is an important part of our long-term plans,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer and president, Cargo.

He pointed to Toronto’s location, growing fleet and the airline’s New Frontiers strategy as key drivers behind the expansion.

There is more aircraft firepower coming, too. Air Canada plans to open a Toronto base for its Airbus A321XLR later this year and will take delivery of its first Toronto-based Boeing 787-10.

The carrier has already announced additional winter services from Toronto to Quito, Ecuador, and Tenerife, Spain, as well as year-round flying to Manchester and Copenhagen. Tenerife, Manchester and Copenhagen will be served by the airline’s new A321XLRs, featuring its new Glowing Heart interiors.

The new routes are already available for sale through Air Canada, its contact centers and travel agents.

For Toronto Pearson, the expansion is another boost to its ambitions to remain Canada’s dominant international gateway. It also shows Air Canada using reluctance of some travelers to fly through the United States by boosting Toronto global hub status with more frequencies and new routes.