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United Airlines and Air Canada have agreed to expand their partnership on routes between the U.S. and Canada.
And the two carriers are planning to launch a half-dozen new routes between the two countries for next summer.
As part of the cross-border expansion, United on Friday announced it would return to St. John’s in Canada’s easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time in more than a decade.
Plus, the airline on Friday announced service to two additional Canadian cities from its hub at Denver International Airport (DEN).
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Meanwhile, Air Canada is adding three additional U.S. routes: Louisville, Indianapolis and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) will get new service to destinations north of the border.
However, the Canadian flag carrier also plans to cut several U.S. routes from its schedule as part of the shakeup, TPG has confirmed.
New United routes to Canada
In all, United plans to add three new routes to Canada:
- Newark to St. John’s International Airport (YYT) — summer seasonal
- Denver to Ottawa International Airport (YOW)
- Denver to Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)
This expansion will mark the first time United has offered service from Newark to St. John’s since 2016.
The EWR-YYT route will give the airline a new easternmost destination in Canada.
Today, that label belongs to Halifax, which United already serves from three U.S. cities.
WestJet is currently the only carrier flying between the U.S. and St. John’s.
Air Canada adds 3 routes, cuts 5
As part of its U.S. network shakeup, Air Canada announced three routes it’ll launch for summer 2027.
- Louisville, Kentucky’s Muhammed Ali International Airport (SDF) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) — Flights between April 28 and Oct. 31, 2027.
- Indianapolis International Airport (IND) to Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL) — Daily service between June 1 and Sept. 30
- Newark to Edmonton International Airport (YEG) — Four weekly flights between June 1 and Oct. 17
Beyond these new routes, United and Air Canada also announced plans to add additional flights or larger planes on a handful of existing routes.
5 US routes eliminated on Air Canada
However, Air Canada will also cut five U.S. routes from its schedule, as first reported by Ishrion Aviaton.
Routes getting the axe include:
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Billy Bishop Toronto International Airport (YTZ)
- Charleston International Airport (CHS) in South Carolina to Toronto Pearson
- Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Vancouver
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Montreal
In a statement to TPG, the carrier cited “commercial reasons,” saying it “regularly reviews its schedule to ensure capacity is aligned with customer demand and travel patterns.”
Joint venture expansion planned
Friday’s route announcement between Air Canada and United came as the carriers announced an agreement to expand their cooperation on service between the U.S. and Canada.
The proposal is currently under review by Canadian regulators.
On top of partnering through the Star Alliance, the two airlines share a joint venture that allows them to coordinate on schedule and pricing. That aspect of the tie-up dates back to 2022.
“The new routes and flights we’re announcing today further underscore our commitment to investing in Canada and making travel between our two countries easier,” United’s chief network planner, Patrick Quayle, said in a statement shared by Air Canada Friday.
Bottom line
Travel demand between the U.S. and Canada has seen some volatility over the past couple years, and that’s led to a host of airline route adjustments during that stretch.
Across all airlines in 2026, the total number of flights and seats between the two countries is down roughtly 6% versus two years ago, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
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