Air Canada adds 5 new routes, 2 destinations in big transborder expansion

The network planners at Air Canada have been quite busy the last few weeks.

The Montreal-based carrier announced on Thursday a big expansion in transborder service that includes five new routes, two new destinations and additional frequencies on existing routes.

All of this increased service comes as the airline is gearing up for a blockbuster summer season.

Read on for all the details.

2 new destinations

Air Canada is adding two new destinations to its network: Tulum, Mexico, and Charleston, South Carolina.

The former will be served once weekly on Saturdays from Montreal starting on May 4, 2024, and twice weekly on Fridays and Sundays from Toronto, beginning on May 3, 2024.

These two new routes to Tulum will be operated on a year-round basis.

Air Canada's new flights to Charleston will kick off on March 28. The airline will offer once-daily service in the market operated by its regional affiliate, Air Canada Express.

Adding flights to Tulum comes on the heels of the opening of the brand-new Tulum International Airport (TQO), which is poised to revolutionize how travelers arrive at this Mexican hot spot.

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In the past, getting to Tulum hasn't necessarily been easy.

One of the most common ways to get there has been to fly to Cancun and then drive to your hotel or vacation rental in Tulum. Cancun is already well served by Air Canada — the airline flies there from eight destinations across Canada — but the drive after landing hasn't necessarily been too appealing.

Private transfers cost about $100, adding about 90 minutes or more to the overall travel journey.

Air Canada isn't the only carrier excited about Tulum's new airport. Many major U.S. airlines, including American, Delta and United, have already announced new service there. I wouldn't be surprised to see more announcements coming down the pike.

Meanwhile, adding flights to Charleston will benefit Canadians looking for a popular East Coast destination and Charlestonians who can visit Toronto and access hundreds of one-stop itineraries via Air Canada's hub at Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ).

Other new routes

Air Canada is also adding new routes to two existing U.S. gateways: Austin and St. Louis.

The carrier already flies from Austin to Toronto and Vancouver, and now it'll add year-round, four-times-weekly service to Montreal. This service commences on May 2, 2024.

It'll also add new summer-seasonal service from St. Louis to Montreal on May 1, 2024. This complements the airline's existing flights from St. Louis to Toronto.

Boosting service to Austin comes as the city has seen impressive growth in air connectivity in recent years. Much of that comes from American Airlines, which recently scrapped a good chunk of its Austin routes. Even so, Austin seems to be top of mind for network planners across the continent.

That's not too surprising, given the influx of companies expanding or moving their headquarters to the city.

As for St. Louis, the additional international service will undoubtedly feel like a win to locals.

It comes after the city's St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) added new transatlantic service to Frankfurt on Lufthansa last year, marking the first time the city has been connected with nonstops to Europe in nearly 20 years.

Additional flight frequencies

In addition to the new routes and destinations, the carrier is boosting its North American network with the addition of new frequencies and by resuming seasonal flights earlier.

A whopping total of 50 existing routes are getting upgraded, and you can find the full list in the table below.

"We are also very pleased to grow our North American network from coast to coast with additional frequencies in key markets including Ottawa, Calgary, Saskatoon and Regina, in regional markets, and by resuming major seasonal routes earlier. By adding scale to our Canadian hubs, we are offering more travel choices and unparalleled access to and from our worldwide network," Mark Galardo, executive vice president for revenue and network planning at Air Canada, said in a statement.

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