Air Canada’s Galardo confident on U.S. expansion at Billy Bishop; Porter rivalry heats up

STORY BY LEAH RUMACK 

With Canadian leisure travel to the U.S down by 30 per cent thanks to the trade war and some customers’ distaste for the current American administration’s policies, it might seem like an odd moment for Air Canada to double down on routes to The States.

But according to Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, and president, cargo, business travel hasn’t seen the same dip.

It’s why Air Canada, as previously reported, is taking its presence in downtown Toronto to new heights with the launch of new U.S. non-stop flights out of the island airport starting in spring 2026.

Speaking to media, C-suiters from Air Canada, PortsToronto, Nieuport Aviation and politicians – including Stan Cho, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming – at Billy Bishop (YTZ) yesterday, Galardo called the news “a decade in the making.”

“This is our most significant expansion at Toronto Island since Air Canada first served the airport 35 years ago,” he said.

In a clear move to keep frequent business customers happy, the service includes robust new routes to key financial markets, including New York’s LaGuardia (4x daily, March 29) Washington Dulles International (1x daily, June 1), Chicago O’Hare (2x daily, June 1) and Boston Logan International (3x daily, July 1).

And Air Canada isn’t leaving their in-Canada travellers behind, either. They’ll be upping the frequency of their popular daily return flights to Ottawa and Montreal starting in February.

READ MORE: Air Canada launches U.S. flights in major expansion at Billy Bishop Airport

Ottawa’s schedule will be increased to six flights from four, and they’re boosting Montreal’s offering from eight trips a day to nine.

“With this expansion, we can say unequivocally that Air Canada is Toronto’s airline,” said Galardo.

“We’re very confident”

Yesterday’s news was celebrated in the YTZ atrium with a live DJ, breakfast treats from the Aspire Air Canada Café and a screen-printing station where attendees could get a tote bag printed with the logo of their favourite new Air Canada Billy Bishop destination airport acronym.

Air Canada clearly wasn’t letting a geopolitical blip getting in the way of U.S. expansion – even if Canadian interest in U.S. travel has declined.

READ MORE: Canadian travel to the U.S.: DAC panel unpacks sentiment, setbacks & signs of recovery

“We’ve long desired to offer more service out of Billy Bishop. Our customers have been asking for a downtown option, and we’re able to deliver that today. We’re very confident,” Galardo said.

Jennifer Quinn, the CEO of Nieuport Aviation, echoed Galardo’s rosy outlook.

“Today is more than a milestone, it’s a reflection of the enduring power of partnership, and it sets the stage for even more transformation ahead,” Quinn said. “Passengers love Billy Bishop, and they want more of it! And with today’s announcement, we’re delivering just that. Today is about new routes, and it’s also about ushering in a new era of connectivity in downtown Toronto. For everyone who flies through Billy Bishop, we’re proud to give you more of what you love.”

Between Billy Bishop and Toronto Pearson, Air Canada will now connect the GTA to 120+ destinations around the world.

READ MORE: Cross-border travel to U.S. from Canada weakened in September: StatCan

Adding to the excitement was the impending launch of U.S Customs Pre-Clearance at the island airport.

Galardo told PAX that while it’s still under construction, they’re hoping to launch pre-clearance by the end of March.

All the new flights will operate as Air Canada Express by Air Canada’s regional partner Jazz Aviation LP with 78-seat, De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft.

The Dash 8-400s will soon be getting a full cabin glow-up, too, including refreshed branding throughout.

And while the pitch of the seats will remain the same, they’re getting swapped out for plush new padded ergonomic seats from Expliseat with seatback multi-use device holders for tablets and phones. The installation of the new seating has an expected completion date in mid-2026.

“We’re going to be doubling our daily number of flights at Billy Bishop,” Galardo told PAX. “Today we have 12, by end of Q3, we’ll have 25 a day.”

Air Canada also trumpeted some service enhancements, including becoming the only carrier to offer fast, free Wi-Fi on flights to and from the island hub.

The service comes complete with complimentary premium alcohol and snacks, and access to the swish Aspire Air Canada Café for customers with Aeroplan 50K, 75K, Super elite or Star Alliance Gold status, as well as for anyone with an Aeroplan premium co-branded credit card.

When asked by PAX if any other American routes will be getting the Air Canada+Billy Bishop treatment anytime soon, Galardo kept his cards close to his chest.

“We always have a big wish list,” he said. “But right now, we’re just going to digest this already sizeable investment, and we’ll see what happens.”

Rivalry, intensified

Porter Airlines, headquartered at Billy Bishop, already operates flights to Boston, Chicago, New York, and Washington—four key U.S. destinations.

Air Canada’s announcement of new routes to the same cities intensifies the rivalry between the two carriers, especially as Porter expands its reach from both Billy Bishop and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) using its new Embraer E195-E2 jets.

This move also signals a broader competitive shift in Canadian aviation, with Porter positioning itself as a premium regional and transcontinental competitor to Air Canada, challenging its dominance in both business and leisure travel segments.

While Air Canada celebrated its new U.S. routes, Porter Airlines was marking a milestone of its own yesterday — its 19th anniversary – and couldn’t resist a cheeky jab on social media.

“Hey Air Canada - you just showed up at our birthday party today with no gift (how rude!) and a lot more talk about trying to match what we've been doing for 19 years,” Porter wrote on its Facebook page. “No cake for you!”

The caption is accompanied by a picture of Mr. Porter – Porter’s anthropomorphic raccoon mascot – with a birthday hat on, holding a piece of cake, and standing next to what appears to be a portion of the circle in Air Canada’s distinctive red logo. 

The image also features the caption, “Guess who showed up to our party!”

With files from Michael Pihach.

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