Island Hopping: Air Canada's Major Expansion At Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport

Air Canada is making a significant move at Billy Bishop Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ), unveiling plans for new daily flights to four major US cities and expanded service on key domestic routes. Starting in the spring of 2026, the airline will launch nonstop Bombardier Dash 8-400 service to New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC, marking Air Canada’s first transborder flights from downtown Toronto.

The move is being spurred on by the imminent opening of a new US Customs & Border Protection (UCBP) pre-clearance facility at the airport in the new year. It will also put Air Canada in direct competition with Porter Airlines, which first started operating from the downtown airport in 2006. It serves 15 US and Canadian destinations using its own Bombardier Dash 8-400 fleet, including three of the four routes that Air Canada has just announced.

Air Canada Is Moving In At Billy Bishop

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is a regional airport located on the Toronto Islands, just minutes from the city’s downtown core. The airport is accessible via a pedestrian tunnel with moving walkways, or a quick 90-second ferry ride. It provides a more intimate and efficient alternative to the larger, more distant Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), primarily serving business and high-end leisure travelers.

The airport only allows for turboprop operations, and to date, Air Canada has had a limited service there with flights to Montreal and Ottowa carried out by its Air Canada Express subsidiary using Dash 8s. However, a new UCBP pre-clearance facility is set to open at YTZ early in the new year, which will significantly streamline the travel experience and is expected to lead to increased travel demand. As a result, Air Canada is responding with four new Dash 8 routes from the facility in 2026:

Speaking at a press conference announcing the new routes this morning, Air Canada chief commercial officer Mark Galardo had the following to say:

“This is our most significant expansion at Toronto Island since Air Canada first served the airport 35 years ago. The new transborder routes will especially 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.”

Details Of The New Transborder Flights

Air Canada already operates an extensive schedule to all four US cities from its core hub at YYZ, utilizing a mix of Airbus A220s, Embraer E175s, and Bombardier CRJ-900s. Adding YTZ to the mix provides its travelers with a more convenient alternative for those living or working in or close to Toronto’s downtown. It will also benefit US travelers, being particularly attractive to business commuters or those flying in to watch local MLB, NBA or NHL games.

The new routes will take Air Canada’s total daily flights from the Toronto area to the four US cities from 21 to 31. They will also put it in direct competition with Porter Airlines on three of the routes — Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC. However, Air Canada will have the route to LaGuardia all to itself, as Porter flies to Newark Liberty International Airport from Billy Bishop. It did initiate service to LaGuardia earlier this year, but does so from YYZ using its larger Embraer E195-E2 fleet.

In addition, Air Canada will be bolstering the frequencies of the two existing routes that it operates from YTZ in Canada’s busiest domestic travel corridors. Starting in January, it will increase the frequency of return flights to Montréal–Trudeau International Airport from eight to nine, and to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport from four to six.​

New Moves To Take On Porter Airlines

Porter Airlines is synonymous with Billy Bishop Airport, being headquartered there and having been founded in 2006 to initiate regional turboprop flights from the then-underutilized facility. It also has nearly two decades of experience and loyalty from travelers to YTZ, so Air Canada realizes that it will need to bring some incentives to lure travelers to its competing services.

As a result, Air Canada spent considerable time at today’s press conference highlighting the perks that its passengers will get when flying from Billy Bishop. These include:

• Fast, free onboard Wi-Fi on all aircraft from YTZ, after Air Canada became the first airline globally to offer Wi-Fi on Dash 8s. Porter Airlines only offers free Wi-Fi on its Embraer aircraft, which don’t operate from YTZ.
• Complimentary onboard premium snacks with beer and wine, which Porter already offers.
• Eligible access to the Aspire Air Canada Café at YTZ. This lounge concept is designed as a quick and convenient pre-flight experience with grab-and-go options. It is a more casual alternative to Air Canada’s traditional, larger Maple Leaf lounges.

In addition, Air Canada is making some substantial cabin updates to its fleet of 25 Dash 8s, part of a broader program to standardize the passenger experience across its regional and mainline fleets. In addition to the free Wi-Fi being added, each 78-seat aircraft will receive new well-padded, ergonomic reclining seats manufactured by Expliseat. They will feature a seatback multi-use device holder, an integrated table tray, as well as redesigned covers inspired by Canadian nature.