Air Canada and United Airlines Renew and Expand Cross-Border Joint Venture with 10 New Routes

Air Canada has signed a deal to renew and expand its joint venture agreement with United Airlines for Canada-US flights, submitting the amended agreement to Transport Canada for approval. The partnership, which has been in place since 2022, allows the two carriers to coordinate on certain routes and has faced pressure from declining travel between the two countries amid geopolitical tensions.

The two airlines are proposing to add ten new routes to the joint venture, including Montreal-Chicago, Montreal-Washington, Ottawa-New York, Toronto-San Francisco and Vancouver-San Francisco, according to a public consultation published by Transport Canada. That consultation closes November 15, 2026.

Alongside the joint venture expansion, Air Canada announced new summer service routes launching next year: Toronto to Louisville, Montreal to Indianapolis, and Edmonton to Newark. The airline also plans to increase capacity on the Edmonton-San Francisco corridor.