Air Canada announces 4 new U.S. routes out of Billy Bishop | CBC News

"Air Canada will offer four daily round-trip flights to New York LaGuardia starting in March 2026, it said in a Thursday news release. Then, over the summer, the airline says it will introduce three daily flights to Boston Logan, two to Chicago O'Hare and one to Washington Dulles. Porter Airlines, headquartered at Billy Bishop, already services the four American cities. The new Air Canada routes mark an escalation in the emerging rivalry between Porter and the flag carrier."

"The service expansion is made possible by the opening of U.S customs pre-clearance at the Toronto Island airport, said Roelof-Jan Steenstra, CEO of PortsToronto, Billy Bishop's parent company, at a news conference Thursday. The facility is expected to open in the coming months, Steenstra told reporters. Once the facility opens, passengers will be able to clear American customs before boarding and while still on Canadian soil."

"The announcement comes at a time when Canadian travel to the U.S. is plummeting. According to Statistics Canada data from September, the number of Canadian residents returning from the U.S. by air declined 27.1 per cent from the same month last year. Several airlines, including Air Canada, have reduced capacity for some U.S. routes or suspended them altogether. And in September, the U.S. ambassador to Canada suggested Washington may need to reassess airport pre-clearance due to declining numbers."

Air Canada plans new daily routes from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to four U.S. cities: New York LaGuardia, Boston Logan, Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles. Four daily round-trip flights to LaGuardia start March 2026. Over the summer the airline will add three daily flights to Boston, two to Chicago and one to Washington. The expansion is enabled by upcoming U.S. customs pre-clearance at Toronto Island airport, allowing passengers to clear American customs before boarding while still on Canadian soil. The new routes intensify competition with Porter Airlines. Air Canada will also add flights to Montreal and Ottawa using 78-seat aircraft.

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