Key Takeaways
- Air Canada increases Ottawa flights by 60%, extending routes to Calgary and Winnipeg year-round.
- More flights to Halifax, Quebec City, and Vancouver, plus expanded seasonal service to U.S. sun destinations.
- Joint venture with United Airlines enhances Ottawa’s connectivity to major U.S. cities.
Air Canada announced a significant increase in flights to and from Ottawa, boosting capacity to Canada’s capital by nearly 60% for the upcoming winter season compared to last year. The expanded schedule includes year-round non-stop flights to Calgary and Winnipeg, additional frequencies to Halifax, Quebec City, and Vancouver, as well as more seasonal services to popular sun destinations in the U.S. and Caribbean.
Among the domestic route enhancements, Air Canada will extend its daily flights between Ottawa and both Calgary and Winnipeg to year-round service after previously operating them seasonally. The airline is also increasing its Ottawa-Halifax route to three daily flights from the current daily service starting July 1st, and going to daily flights on the Ottawa-Quebec City route up from less than daily currently.
On the Ottawa-Vancouver route, one of the two daily flights will be upgraded to Air Canada’s flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner widebody aircraft, providing additional capacity to this transcontinental service.
For travel to the United States, Air Canada is increasing frequencies on routes to Fort Lauderdale from 4 to 6 weekly flights, Orlando from 2 to 4 weekly, and Tampa from 1 to 2 weekly flights during the winter season. In cooperation with joint venture partner United Airlines, travellers will also have more options for flights between Ottawa and major U.S. cities like Chicago (3 daily), New York-Newark (3 daily), and Washington D.C. (3 daily to Dulles and 1 daily to Reagan).
The airline is also ramping up its winter service from Ottawa to sun destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. Flights to Cancun will increase from 3 to 4 weekly, and Punta Cana will also go up to 4 weekly flights, providing more options for Canadian travellers escaping winter weather.
“Ottawa is an important part of Air Canada’s network and in response to demand, we are growing our capacity to our nation’s capital city by almost 60 percent compared to 2023,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada. He highlighted the airline’s excitement at extending key non-stop routes year-round and adding capacity across Canada and to sun destinations.
The service increases were praised by Ottawa officials as an economic boon for tourism, business travel, and local residents. “This is great news for Ottawa’s economy and recognizes the importance and vibrancy of the Ottawa market on the world stage,” said Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism, stated the enhanced flights “will make it easier for Canadian and American visitors to access Ottawa, supporting growth for business events, sport hosting, tour operators, and leisure visitation.”
