Air Canada Cuts Five U.S. Routes for 2027 as Canadian Travel Stays Below 2024 Levels

Air Canada has dropped five U.S. routes from its 2027 schedule, including its only service to South Carolina, as Canadian travel to the United States remains well below 2024 levels, Global News reported.

The cuts end service between Montreal and Seattle, Vancouver and Nashville, Vancouver and Raleigh-Durham, Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport and Boston, and Toronto Pearson and Charleston, Pax News reported.

Air Canada confirmed the cuts to The Points Guy, citing “commercial reasons,” according to Pax News. The airline said it “regularly reviews its schedule to ensure capacity is aligned with customer demand and travel patterns.”

Montreal–Seattle, Vancouver–Nashville and Vancouver–Raleigh-Durham had been set to resume in May 2027, and Toronto–Charleston in April, Pax News reported, citing Simple Flying and Cirium schedule data.

The Charleston route began in March 2024. Air Canada confirmed it will not bring back the seasonal service for summer 2027, The Post and Courier reported.

Demand on that route had slipped. Seats on Toronto–Charleston flights were 66.5% full on average from March 2024 through July 2026, falling to 62.1% in 2025, Newsweek reported, citing Simple Flying.

Departures between Toronto Pearson and Charleston fell from 200 in 2024 to 92 in 2026, according to Simple Flying data cited by Pax News.

The other four U.S. cities remain reachable through other Canadian hubs. Boston, for example, is still served from Halifax, Montreal and Toronto Pearson, Pax News reported.

Air Canada is also adding some U.S. flying. It plans new service between Toronto and Louisville, Montreal and Indianapolis, and Edmonton and Newark in summer 2027, according to Global News.

Canadian Trips Still Trail 2024

Canadian residents made about 1.89 million return trips from the United States by car and plane in September, up 6.8% from a year earlier and the sixth straight monthly gain, Statistics Canada reported.

Both remain far below 2024. Air trips were 18.7% lower than in September 2024, and automobile trips were down 31.1%, the agency said.

Canadian travel to the U.S. fell sharply after President Trump’s repeated talk of annexing Canada and multiple rounds of tariffs, Global News reported.

Newsweek also pointed to a weaker Canadian dollar, which it said has slipped from about 72.9 U.S. cents at the start of 2026 to around 71 cents, making U.S. vacations more expensive.

Fuel costs have played a role too. In May, Air Canada suspended some seasonal flights early because of soaring jet fuel prices, including Toronto–Charleston, according to Global News.

In July, the airline said it would cancel winter service between Montreal and Detroit, Montreal and Minneapolis, and Toronto and Indianapolis, Global News reported.

Other Canadian carriers have pulled back further. WestJet cut 10 U.S. routes this year, and Air Transat ended all of its U.S. flights by mid-June, Newsweek reported.

Snowbird spots have been hit hard. Canadian trips to Myrtle Beach, S.C., fell more than 65% between 2024-25 and 2025-26, the steepest drop of any U.S. city, according to a University of Toronto School of Cities report cited by Global News.

Separately, Air Canada began charging a non-refundable booking fee of CA$30 per passenger, plus taxes, on new bookings made by phone through its contact centre as of Oct. 15, according to the airline.

Online and app bookings carry no fee, and customers needing specialized support, including those with accessibility needs, are exempt, the airline said.

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