Air Canada’s 10 New Ultra-Long Routes In 2026


Air Canada is the world’s 11th-largest airline for long-haul flights. When only Canada is considered, it accounts for 36% of the country’s long-haul activity. For obvious reasons, it is especially dominant in Montreal (45%) and Toronto (39%). Its share from other cities is lower than the average, including Vancouver (33%).

The Airbus A321XLR will play an increasingly important role in the Star Alliance’s European operations, at least assuming peak summer temperatures are not too high. On February 11, Air Canada revealed that it has ordered the A350-1000. This variant will probably replace its 777-200LRs, with its incoming 787-10s replacing its A330-300s.

Air Canada’s 10 Longest Nonstop Flights In 2026

Air Canada Boeing 787-9 taxiing to the active runway Credit: Flickr

Caution is needed. This article only includes the carrier’s nonstop flights this year. Any one-stop, same-plane services, such as Toronto-Vancouver-Sydney and Toronto-London Heathrow-Mumbai, are excluded. That’s despite such flights taking up to 23h 35m.

The following list is based on the maximum block time, which is based on the airline’s schedule submission to OAG. Block time is measured as chocks-off-to-chocks-on. It is what’s shown on Air Canada’s website and in other booking places, along with schedules.

As always with this kind of topic, various other airport pairs came close to being included. For example, Air Canada’s offering from Vancouver to Hong Kong is timed at up to 14h 30m. That is long, but not long enough.

Maximum Block Time*

Direction Of Nonstop Route With That Time

Air Canada’s Operations This Year*

17h 05m

Delhi back to Toronto

Daily year round; 777-200LR (the 777-300ER is scheduled on a handful of occasions)

16h 45m

Vancouver to Singapore

Four to five weekly year round; 787-9

16h 30m

Delhi back to Montreal

Three to five weekly winter only; 787-9

16h 25m

Vancouver to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi

Three weekly to daily year round; 787-9

16h 10m

Toronto to Shanghai Pudong

Will resume on June 3 (last served in 2020). Four weekly year round; 787-9

15h 55m

Vancouver to Sydney

Daily year round; 777-200LR (occasionally on the 787-9)

15h 25m

Toronto to Seoul Incheon

Five weekly to daily year round; 787-9

15h 20m

Dubai back to Toronto

Daily year round; 787-9

14h 50m

Vancouver to Brisbane

Six weekly to daily year round; 787-9

14h 40m

Montreal to Seoul Incheon

Will resume on June 4 (previously served in 2024/2025). Three to four weekly summer only; 787-9

* Even if once

* Known as of February 12, and subject to change

Air Canada’s Delhi Operations

Air Canada Boeing 777-200LR on initial climb Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Canada’s flag carrier has had a checkered history of operating between Toronto and Delhi. For example, Airbus A340-operated nonstop flights existed until 2005. Between 2005 and 2007, it had a one-stop 767-operated service, flying Toronto-Zurich-Delhi. Air Canada had no flights between Canada’s most populous city and Delhi for several years thereafter.

Nonstop flights returned in 2015. The 787 initially operated, followed by the 777. The 777-300ER was occasionally deployed, but it was mainly about the 777-200LR. Before Russia’s war in Ukraine, the long route from India back to Canada’s busiest airport had a block time of up to 15h 20m. Detouring to avoid Russian airspace has extended that to a whopping 17h 05m. This exceeds Delta Air Lines’ longest offering, but it is not quite as extreme as United Airlines’ longest service.

Air Canada’s interest in serving this route is not surprising. It is an unbelievably large market. Booking data shows that 712,000 passengers flew between the two cities in 2025—nearly 2,000 people daily. Toronto-Delhi was the most-trafficked market between North America and India.

American Airlines Airbus A321XLR

Where To Next? American Airlines Reveals 10 Global Cities On Secret Wishlist

Which of the cities do you think the airline will fly to? Or not of them at all?

Air Canada To Dubai

Air Canada Boeing 787-9 final approach Credit: Shutterstock

The carrier has served Dubai since 2015. It continues to do so because of its partnership with Emirates. Like Qatar Airways, Emirates has limited market access due to the UAE-Canadian air service agreement. As such, Air Canada effectively operates on its behalf. No wonder booking data shows that most passengers flying Canada’s largest airline connect to another flight in Dubai.

While Toronto-Dubai has been served throughout, Air Canada operated Vancouver-Dubai between 2023 and 2025. It is unclear whether that city pair will be served again. Separately, Etihad Airways will begin Abu Dhabi-Calgary flights later this year.



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