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Air Canada has now taken its Montreal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG) Airbus A330-300 service out of its reservation systems for both summers 2026 and 2027. Canada’s flag carrier will no longer operate a nonstop service to Algeria. Instead, Air Algérie will become the corridor’s sole non-stop operator. It comes as part of a broader network trim of around 1% of the carrier’s annual available seat miles.
Air Canada has cited rising fuel prices as the reason for these cuts. They leave Montreal to Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) as the only direct connection that Air Canada offers to Africa. This route also uses A330-300 and is operated three times per week. The Canadian flag carrier has served this route since 2016, suggesting it will be more embedded against further cuts.
The Cut Has Been Extended
The Summer 2026 and Summer 2027 season cuts have not come as a single decision. Instead, Air Canada initially cut the route from its Summer 2026 program and planned for it to return, using the A330-300 four times per week, on June 2, 2027. Air Canada cited the fact that fuel prices had doubled since the start of the US-Iran conflict in an April 17 statement, as reported by Air Journal. As a result, low-profitability and niche routes were becoming harder to sustain.
The economic difficulties of operating such a route make sense for the summer 2026 season. However, Air Canada has now extended the halting of the route to the Summer 2027 route. Although Donald Trump’s war with Iran shows no sign of an approaching resolution, it feels premature to assume that jet fuel prices will remain high for long enough to justify the 2027 halt. Perhaps Air Canada is using these geopolitical circumstances as an excuse to halt a route that was insufficiently profitable.
Air Canada originally launched the Montreal to Algiers route in 2017. It connected Canada’s French-speaking region with French-speaking North Africa. Demand was driven by family, tourist, and business travel, particularly within the Algerian diaspora who call Canada home.
It Comes As A Broader Effort To Respond To Rising Jet Fuel Prices
In April 2026, Air Canada released a statement on how it was responding to rising jet fuel prices and the increasing prevalence of routes in its network that were struggling to meet profitability targets. “Jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict, affecting some lower profitability routes and flights which now are no longer economically feasible. Schedule adjustments including some frequency reductions are being made in response,” the carrier said.
The table below shows the full list of routes that were suspended, amounting to around 1% of the carrier’s annual available seat miles, according to Air Canada’s statement:
Destination Airport | Departure Airport | Suspension Date | Planned Return |
|---|---|---|---|
Fort McMurray International Airport (YMM) | Vancouver International Airport (YVR) | May 28, 2026 | None announced |
Yellowknife Airport (YZF) | Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) | August 30, 2026 | None announced |
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) | Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) | June 30, 2026 | 2027 |
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) | June 1, 2026 | October 25, 2026 |
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) | June 1, 2026 | October 25, 2026 |
Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) | Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) | Planned route now scrapped | N/A |
Houari Boumediene Airport (ALG) | Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL) | Summer 2026 | Suspended for 2027 |
These cuts will have been frustrating to customers who rely on these services. The airline said that any affected customers had been contacted to help them make alternative travel arrangements.
The Cut Leaves The Montreal To Casablanca Route Alive
A notable route to survive the cuts is Air Canada’s flight to Montreal, allowing the flag carrier to maintain its connection to Africa. This route was initially seasonal and then expanded. It was announced in June 2016 and was Air Canada’s first direct flight to Africa. The route was operated by Air Canada Rouge and used the Boeing 767-300ER.
“The launch of Air Canada’s first route to Africa is a significant new addition to our international network. Our new service will be appealing for tourists traveling to Casablanca and beyond, the large Moroccan community based in Montreal as well as business travellers due to the historically close ties between Quebec and Morocco,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.
The table below shows how the route operated when it was first announced, making use of Air Canada’s data. Please note that from June 7 to June 9 the arrival and departure times from Casablanca were one hour earlier. This is because Morocco’s daylight saving time reverses during Ramadan. Furthermore, the Sunday operations from Montreal and Monday operations from Casablanca were not introduced until June 26:
FLIGHT | DEPARTS | ARRIVES | FREQUENCY |
|---|---|---|---|
AC1936 | Montreal 6:55 PM | Casablanca 7:10 AM +1 day | Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday |
AC1937 | Casablanca 9:10 AM | Montreal 12:00 PM | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday |
Alongside the route to Casablanca, Air Canada also announced a range of other Air Canada Rouge services. These included Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to 
London Gatwick Airport (LGW), Prague Václav Havel Airport (PRG), Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), Glasgow Airport (GLA) and Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW), and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Dublin Airport (DUB).
Air Algérie Becomes The Only Direct Montreal-To-Algiers Operator
The only airline maintaining the direct connection between these two French-speaking cities is Air Algérie. These year-round services remain Air Algérie’s only transatlantic flight. Air Algérie is not only Algeria’s flag carrier, but it is also owned by the Government of Algeria. Its fleet features only Airbus A330 planes as far as widebody jets are concerned. It has more varieties of narrowbody jets. This includes multiple variants of Boeing 737 planes and ATR 72 turboprops.
The table below shows the schedule for these services, operating on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, according to Simple Flying’s Alexander Mitchell:
Flight number | Departure time | Arrival time |
|---|---|---|
AH 2700 | 10:10 | 13:10 |
AH 2701 | 15:10 | 05:00 |
Although not offering a direct service, a key competitor to the Algerian flag carrier on this route has been Air France. The French airline routes between Canada and Algeria via its Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) hub. Alexander notes that Air France has reached peak market shares on the route of up to 40%.
Why There Is A Need To Connect Montreal and Algiers
The customer base for the Algiers to Montreal route goes further than simply connecting French-speaking people for business and tourism. There is a significant Algerian diaspora in Montreal who want to return to Algiers to visit family and their homeland. Another unexpectedly popular service for similar reasons is Monterrey International Airport (MTY) to Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN), which is operated by Aeromexico.
The Canadian government census in 2021 found that 73,000 people of Algerian descent lived in the Montreal area. For comparison, the Algerian embassy in Washington, D.C., previously estimated that there are 50,000 Algerian Americans across the entire US. These statistics mean that Montreal possesses the largest Algerian diaspora outside of Europe.
Canada and Algeria also have a strong economic relationship which has been bolstered by aviation connectivity between the two nations. OEC data from 2021 shows that trade between the two countries sits at around $1 billion a year. A consistent flow of corporate travelers helps maintain this economic interdependency. These travelers also explain the healthy market for business class travelers on the route.
Air Algérie Stands Firm In Montreal While It Cuts Other Services
As with Air Canada, Air Algérie has also needed to cut back on certain services this year. This January, Simple Flying’s Prachi Patel reported that the airline was moving out of 
London Heathrow Airport(LHR), instead focusing on London Stansted Airport (STN) for its London services. The airline operated its final Heathrow service on March 28.
The move was carried out at the start of the summer season, as announced by Fares Rahmani, a deputy who represents the United Kingdom’s Algerian diaspora. Previously, the carrier had operated four weekly flights to Heathrow. Passengers booked onto these services were automatically transferred to the Stansted services. These flights are operated by Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 planes.
Along with maintaining its London and Montreal services amid other cuts, Air Algérie has been focusing on domestic and regional operations within Africa. In 2025, the airline placed an order for a further 16 ATR 72-600 turboprops. These planes are operated by Domestic Airlines, Air Algérie’s new and unimaginatively named regional subsidiary. Deliveries are set to be spread from 2026 to 2028. Other orders placed by the airline around this time included eight more 737 MAX 9 and a total of 10 Airbus A330neos.
Air Algérie is looking for other ways to expand its footprint in the British aviation sector. “The Algerian community in the United Kingdom is calling for flights to the East and West, as well as flights from Manchester, and that is what we will try to achieve,” said Rahmani.
