From Toronto to Tirana: Air Canada and ITA Airways Expand Travel Routes

From July 21, 2025, travellers will be able to hop between Air Canada and ITA Airways flights on certain routes as if they were part of the same system, without the usual mess of booking with two different airlines. By teaming up, the two airlines can reach more places by letting each other’s flights count as their own beyond the usual starting points in Toronto and Rome. The cooperation opens up additional routes that link secondary cities in Canada, Italy and nearby regions through coordinated flight schedules.

Under the agreement, ten ITA Airways routes departing from Rome will now carry Air Canada's flight code. These include five Italian cities:

• Catania
• Palermo
• Florence
• Bari
• Lamezia Terme

As well as international destinations:

• Tirana
• Cairo
• Algiers
• Tunis
• Tel Aviv

This adjustment allows passengers arriving in Rome to continue toward regions that once required more complicated transfers. Service to Tel Aviv is currently suspended.

Beyond Italy, the agreement includes destinations that are less commonly linked by direct international flights. Tirana offers a compact city surrounded by mountains, where communist-era buildings stand beside older Ottoman quarters. Cairo stretches from the Nile into a maze of wide streets and older alleys, with the Citadel providing views over the city. In Tunis, Medina's winding streets and courtyards reflect centuries of cultural blending.

Travellers arriving in Toronto with ITA Airways will also gain easier connections to various Canadian and US cities. These include St John's in Newfoundland, where sharp cliffs meet the Atlantic, and Calgary, a common starting point for exploring the Canadian Rockies. The agreement also covers Algiers, where the Kasbah rises from the coastline in dense steps of historic buildings. Tel Aviv, while currently suspended, remains part of the plan for future service.

The new routes reduce the need for multiple tickets and separate check-ins, especially for those heading to smaller cities or unfamiliar regions. If you're piecing together a trip with a few stops or heading to visit relatives off the main travel grid, this setup makes crossing borders less of a juggling act. While the changes are not dramatic, they help eliminate routine issues that often slow down international journeys.