Air Canada Expands Service to Ottawa with New Routes and Increased Flights

Air Canada has announced a significant increase in its flight schedule to Ottawa, enhancing connectivity to key destinations across Canada and popular leisure spots. This expansion will see almost a 60% boost in flights to and from Canada’s capital, including year-round services to Calgary and Winnipeg, more frequent flights to Halifax and Quebec City, and the introduction of widebody service to Vancouver.

Starting this year, Air Canada will operate one of the two daily flights between Ottawa and Vancouver using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The airline is also increasing flights to winter destinations such as Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Cancun, and Punta Cana.

Mark Galardo, Air Canada's Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning, emphasized the importance of Ottawa in the airline's network and the demand driving this expansion. The additional capacity aims to provide more options for travelers within Canada and to sun destinations during the winter months.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe welcomed the expansion, noting its positive impact on the local economy, tourism, and business travel. Joel Tkach, Vice President of Business Development & Marketing at the Ottawa International Airport Authority, highlighted the strategic timing and alignment with residents' needs. Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the benefits for business events, sports hosting, and leisure travel.

The enhanced schedule includes the following domestic improvements:

• Daily service to Calgary and Winnipeg extended year-round.
• Increased flights to Halifax, now three times daily.
• Daily flights to Quebec City.
• Twice-daily flights to Vancouver, with one on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Transborder improvements include:

• Increased winter services to Fort Lauderdale (six times weekly), Orlando (four times weekly), and Tampa (twice weekly).
• Additional daily flights to Chicago and Washington-Dulles through a partnership with United Airlines, totaling three daily flights each to Chicago, New York-Newark, and Washington-Dulles, and one daily flight to Washington-Reagan.

Air Canada’s commitment to enhancing its Ottawa operations reflects confidence in the city’s market potential and aims to provide better connectivity and convenience for travelers. This development is poised to boost tourism, business travel, and overall economic activity in Ottawa.