Air Canada’s Europe push

Air Canada is heading into summer 2026 with its biggest Europe schedule on record, adding seven brand-new routes across the Atlantic. (simpleflying.com) Cirium data cited by Simple Flying shows Air Canada has scheduled 4,775 one-way Europe departures in the third quarter of 2026, up 8% from 2025 and 5% above its previous peak in 2018. Those flights add up to about 1.48 million seats for July through September. (simpleflying.com) The new routes are Halifax-Brussels; Montreal-Berlin, Catania, Nantes and Palma de Mallorca; and Toronto-Budapest and Ponta Delgada. Simple Flying reported that none of Air Canada’s Europe routes from 2025 appear to be dropping out of the 2026 summer schedule. (simpleflying.com) The expansion builds on a broader transatlantic push Air Canada had already mapped out in November 2024, when it said summer 2025 would bring more than 100,000 weekly seats to 30 destinations across Europe and North Africa at peak season. Air Canada said then that it was adding or restoring routes including Montreal-Naples, Montreal-Porto, Toronto-Prague and Ottawa-London Heathrow. (aircanada.com) Air Canada’s 2025 annual report said the airline added more than 30 new routes in 2025 and “continued to grow” its position in Europe as one of North America’s leading transatlantic carriers. That helps explain why the 2026 growth is concentrated on secondary European cities rather than only the biggest hubs. (aircanada.com) A big part of that network shift is aircraft choice. Simple Flying reported that Air Canada is using more long-range narrowbody jets on Europe flying, including the Boeing 737 Max 8 and the Airbus A321XLR, on routes that would be harder to fill with larger widebody planes. (simpleflying.com) Air Canada said this month that its new A321XLR will carry 182 passengers, including 14 lie-flat business-class seats, and that Palma de Mallorca will be its first new route for the type starting in summer 2026. The airline said the jet lets it bring a “wide-body experience” to a single-aisle aircraft. (aircanada.com) The growth is landing as airlines keep a close eye on fuel costs. The International Air Transport Association’s latest fuel monitor said the global average jet fuel price was $197.83 a barrel last week, even after a 5.3% weekly decline. (iata.org) Fox’s reporting on summer travel said analysts were warning that fuel disruptions could mean not only higher fares but also fewer flights and more schedule volatility if oil supply problems deepen. Air Canada’s Europe push shows the carrier is still betting that transatlantic demand will hold up through that risk. (fox5atlanta.com)