Air Canada trims more overseas & U.S. routes amid rising fuel costs

Amid the ongoing rise in fuel costs, Air Canada is scaling back service on several international and U.S. routes, with reduced frequencies and shorter seasonal schedules across parts of its long-haul network.

According to Aeroroutes, the airline is making the following adjustments to its intercontinental schedule:

• Montreal–Berlin: Seasonal service will now end Sept. 5
• Montreal–Copenhagen: Seasonal service will now end Sept. 3
• Toronto Pearson–Manchester: Reduced from four to three weekly flights from June 15 to Sept. 12
• Vancouver–Hong Kong: Reduced from daily service to six weekly flights from Sept. 8 to Oct. 2
• Vancouver–Manila: Reduced from four to three weekly flights from July 20 to Oct. 1
• Vancouver–Singapore: Reduced from four to three weekly flights from July 3–16 and Aug. 24–Sept. 25

The airline is also making some frequency cuts on some 20 transborder routes, impacting destinations such as Austin, Charleston SC, Sacramento, Raleigh/Durham, San Francisco, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, New York (LaGuardia), Miami, Seattle and more.

Click here to see the complete list, compiled by Aeroroutes.

Airlines trim schedules

Jet fuel costs have surged to more than twice what they were before the conflict in Iran began.

In response, Air Canada announced last month that it would temporarily halt flights from Toronto and Montreal to John F. Kennedy International Airport from June 1 through Oct. 25.

Looking south, Air Canada is also suspending its Toronto–Salt Lake City route as of June 30, with plans to potentially restart it next year.

READ MORE: Rising fuel costs cancel flights in Atlantic Canada; WestJet delays Medellin

On the international front, the carrier has cancelled its planned new nonstop service from Montreal to Guadalajara, which had been scheduled to launch on June 2.

The airline’s seasonal Montreal – Algiers route for the summer 2026 season has also been suspended.

"Jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict, affecting some lower profitability routes and flights which now are no longer economically feasible. Schedule adjustments including some frequency reductions are being made in response," reads a statement posted to the airline's website.

WestJet has also said it plans to cut capacity to offset rising fuel expenses. The airline expects to reduce flights by roughly three per cent in May and close to six per cent in June, while continuing to review its summer schedule for possible additional cancellations.

Some of the latest cutbacks include the airline’s Moncton to Calgary flights.

Additionally, WestJet’s planned Toronto-Medellin service for 2026, which was initially scheduled from April 28 to October 24, 2026, has been shortened to the period of June 25 to September 5.

Air Transat, too, has reduced planned capacity by six per cent from May to October, with the extended suspension of its Cuba service through October accounting for most of that reduction.

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