Air Canada Growing Europe Routes for Summer: Porter Trims US Flights + Adds More Canada Service

Air Canada is building its European service for summer, while Porter Airlines is betting big on summer flights within Canada.

Canada’s largest airline today (March 31) announced it is adding a new route and boosting frequencies to popular Europe destinations for the upcoming summer travel season. New summer services from Montreal to Edinburgh will complement the carrier’s existing summer services from Toronto to the Scottish capital city. The carrier is also adding close to 1300 weekly seats to Paris and Athens, and is also extending its peak Toronto to Rome schedule until October.

(Here’s a story I wrote about Edinburgh after a visit in the fall of 2023).

“Air Canada is excited to add the only non-stop flights between Montreal and Edinburgh. Our new flights will link Scotland to Canada’s second largest metropolitan area, bringing additional travel choices to the legendary land of castles, lochs and more through our extensive network at our Montreal hub,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning, & President, Cargo. “We are also adding flights to Paris, Athens and Rome from our Toronto global hub this summer to meet expected demand. At Air Canada, we are proud to support tourism as well as connect people visiting friends and family.”

Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. E Mens/Unsplash Photo

Flights from Montreal will depart at 9:50 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from June 26 to Sept. 6. Flights from Edinburgh back to Canada will depart at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from June 27 to Sept. 7.

Flights from Montreal to Edinburgh will be operated with a Boeing 737MAX, offering a choice of Premium Economy or Economy cabins.

New additional flights to Europe 

Canada to Paris

• Three new flights added from Toronto on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
• Up to 10 weekly flights from Toronto, 14 weekly flights from Montreal

Canada to Athens

• Two new flights added from Toronto on Tuesday and Friday
• Additional frequencies extended until October
• Up to 10 weekly flights from Toronto, 10 weekly flights from Montreal

Canada to Rome

• Up to 4 additional weekly frequencies extended until October
• Up to 12 weekly flights from Toronto, 9 weekly flights from Montreal

PORTER TRIMS U.S. SERVICE, BETS BIG ON CANADIAN DOMESTIC ROUTING

Toronto-based Porter Airlines is updating its 2025 summer schedule. Increases in capacity are spread across new destinations, the continuation of winter routes into summer, and added frequencies.

Domestic flying during this period is now 80% of total network capacity, up from 75% in its original summer plan. This is balanced by targeted frequency reductions in select U.S. markets. Despite the changes, Porter’s presence in the Canada-U.S. market will be 25% larger than last summer.

(Porter didn’t reveal which US routes will be trimmed, but I have reached out to them for comment.)

The summer schedule is supported by 10 additional Embraer E195-E2 aircraft compared to 2024, growing the number of jets in the airline’s fleet to 44 (of an order up to 100). These operate in conjunction with the airline’s regional fleet of 29 De Havilland Dash 8-400s.

“Our goal is to fly where our customers want to travel, and this is a moment Canada is at the top of many people’s list,” said Kevin Jackson, president, Porter Airlines. “We are adding routes and increasing flights in regions across the country to meet this demand.”

 

The Battery in St. John’s is one of the great walking spots in Canada. – JIM BYERS PHOTO

 

The updated domestic schedule includes the following details over peak summer operations:

Route Changes	New Peak Summer Schedule
NEW Moncton – Toronto Pearson	5x weekly
Vancouver – Toronto Pearson	6x daily
Victoria – Toronto Pearson	12x weekly
Charlottetown – Toronto Pearson	7x weekly
St. John’s – Toronto Pearson	14x weekly
Kelowna – Toronto Pearson	7x weekly
Deer Lake – Toronto Pearson	3x weekly
Thunder Bay – Toronto Pearson	7x weekly
Calgary – Toronto Pearson	4x daily
Montréal – Vancouver	14x weekly
Hamilton – Vancouver	14x weekly
Hamilton – Calgary	6x weekly
Hamilton – Edmonton	7x weekly
Hamilton – Halifax	7x weekly
Victoria – Ottawa	7x weekly
Halifax – Deer Lake	7x weekly

Highlights:

• Toronto Pearson-Moncton is a new route, which complements existing flights between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport-Moncton and Ottawa-Moncton.
• Hamilton-Vancouver service doubles to 14 weekly flights, representative of strong pre-booking demand for this new route taking off in June.
• Montréal – Vancouver and Toronto-St. John’s both double planned service to 14 weekly flights.

“These routes complement existing schedules by creating more non-stop flight options and greater connectivity for travelling beyond hubs in Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Halifax,” added Jackson.

 

The Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. JIM BYERS PHOTO

Porter is also launching new service between Toronto Pearson – New York-LaGuardia and Montréal – New York-Newark this spring. This is supported by expanding winter seasonal service through the summer to destinations such as Phoenix and San Diego, and increasing year-over-year capacity for Las Vegas and San Francisco.

“Porter has increased capacity in the U.S. by 25% year-over-year. Based on our current spring bookings, the number of passengers travelling on Porter across our transborder routes is up more than our capacity, demonstrating strong traveller demand for Porter’s elevated experience. As we shift some capacity to domestic routes in the near term to account for consumer travel interest, we are still seeing an overall increase in U.S. travel on Porter flights,” said Jackson.

On every flight, passengers enjoy Porter’s signature service, including no middle seats, complimentary wine and beer served in glassware and premium snacks. Routes operated with the new Embraer E195-E2 also have free, fast WiFi available for everyone.

HOTEL X TORONTO BECOMES A DESTINATION HYATT PROPERTY

Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Princes Gates Hotel Limited Partnership have announced that Hotel X Toronto will join the Destination by Hyatt brand, marking the brand’s entrance into Canada. This milestone entrance into Hyatt’s Classics portfolio marks an exciting evolution for the hotel, further strengthening its identity as Toronto’s premier urban resort.

In the last 10 years, Hyatt has quintupled its brand presence in Canada, demonstrating its commitment to the region.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Ontario, Hotel X Toronto offers a serene escape just minutes from the heart of downtown. The hotel features a year-round heated rooftop pool with panoramic views, the first Guerlain Spa in Canada, and 10XTO, a 90,000-square-foot athletic club with tennis courts, squash courts, and fitness studios. Guests can also enjoy a curated art gallery by Neil Dankoff, a 250-seat cinema, a private screening room, and a selection of exceptional dining venues.

A room at Hotel X Toronto, now a Destination by Hyatt hotel.

With flexible event spaces, beautifully landscaped gardens, and an emphasis on wellness and sustainability, Hotel X Toronto embodies the very essence of a Destination by Hyatt property. This new chapter will enhance what makes Hotel X Toronto special, ensuring that guests and World of Hyatt members enjoy an enriching and memorable stay infused with the culture and vibe of Toronto.

I’ve had the pleasure of staying at the hotel a couple times, and have been there for many meetings. It’s quite a remarkable property and well worth checking out.

“Hotel X Toronto was designed to be more than a hotel – it is an experience that blends wellness, culture, and recreation,” said Fariyal Hasham, Managing Director at Hotel X Toronto. “Joining Destination by Hyatt allows us to stay true to our unique vision while tapping into Hyatt’s global reach, connecting travelers from around the world to our sophisticated urban resort.”