Air Canada plans to launch flights to the United States from Toronto's island airport as it seeks to attract business passengers in a direct challenge to rival Porter Airlines.
The country's largest airline announced Thursday that it will operate flights between Billy Bishop airport as well as New York's LaGuardia Airport, Boston's Logan International Airport, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Washington's Dulles International Airport for a total of 10 daily return flights beginning next spring.
It will also increase the frequency of flights to Montreal and Ottawa from the airport, which is located near downtown Toronto.
The launch of cross-border flights follows the introduction of a US pre-clearance facility at Billy Bishop, which will allow passengers to be inspected by US border officials before departure.
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The shift is part of a new focus on business passengers and more profitable routes as cross-border corporate travel remains strong despite a sharp drop in demand from tourists, spooked by US President Donald Trump's tariff policies and divisive rhetoric.
“This is our most significant expansion on Toronto Island since Air Canada first served the airport 35 years ago,” chief commercial officer Mark Galardo said in a news release.
“The new cross-border routes will particularly benefit our loyal customers and business travelers by creating frequent and easy connections between the heart of Canada's financial capital and the major markets of New York, Boston, Washington and Chicago.”
The move also represents growing competition from rapidly expanding Porter Airlines, which operates routes from Billy Bishop – its headquarters and base – to all six metropolitan areas targeted by Air Canada.
However, both Air Canada and Porter have cut capacity in several U.S. regions, particularly in the South, due to Canadians' animosity toward their neighbor since Trump's election.
The number of Canadians returning from the United States by air fell 27 per cent last month compared with September 2024, continuing a months-long trend, according to Statistics Canada.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
