Air Canada is expanding its long-haul network with the return of nonstop service to Ecuador and the launch of year-round flights to Manchester and Copenhagen, boosted by the launch of an Airbus A321XLR base at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The carrier confirmed that Ecuador’s capital Quito will rejoin its network in December, marking Air Canada’s first nonstop Canada-Ecuador service since the route was suspended at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The airline will operate 3X-weekly flights from Montreal and a weekly flight from Toronto, each using Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
Air Canada previously operated seasonal Toronto-Quito service from December 2019 using Air Canada Rouge 767-300 aircraft, before the route was suspended at the start of the pandemic. No other airlines currently operate nonstop flights between Canada and Ecuador. Sabre Market Intelligence data shows Canada-Ecuador traffic totaled about 62,000 two-way passengers in the 12 months to June 2025, down 8.6% year over year, with Toronto-Quito the largest city pair.
The Quito relaunch forms part of a broader push into Latin America for the northern winter 2026-27 season. Air Canada is resuming flights to Lima and Rio de Janeiro up to six weeks earlier than in winter 2025-26, increasing frequencies on both routes, and expanding service from Montreal to Santiago and Bogota.
Additionally, Air Canada will convert its Toronto-Manchester and Toronto-Copenhagen routes to year-round operation from late October. Both services will be flown with the A321XLR. The airline previously operated both routes on a summer-seasonal basis, competing with Air Transat on Manchester and SAS Scandinavian Airlines on Copenhagen.
Air Canada is acquiring 30 A321XLRs, with the first aircraft to be received in the first quarter of 2026 on lease from Air Lease. The Star Alliance member has already confirmed plans to launch a Montreal-Palma de Mallorca route using XLRs, as well as using the aircraft on existing routes like Montreal-Toulouse and seasonal Montreal-Edinburgh.
As previously reported, Air Canada’s winter 2026-27 schedule also includes the launch of a new Asia-Pacific leisure route connecting Vancouver and Sapporo in Japan. Flights will be 3X-weekly from Dec. 17 using 787s.
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