Zipair has confirmed plans to become the first Japanese airline to operate nonstop flights to Toronto, introducing competition in a market currently served only by Air Canada.
The Japan Airlines-owned carrier will initially operate three roundtrips per week between Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) and Toronto Pearson International Airport starting March 2, 2027. A fourth frequency will start on March 29. Flights will use 290-seat Boeing 787-8s.
Toronto will become Zipair’s second Canadian destination after Vancouver and its 11th route overall. The airline estimates that business, education, leisure and sports-related travel will support outbound demand from Japan, alongside growing Canadian visitor numbers.
Air Canada is currently the only airline offering nonstop flights between Japan and Toronto. During summer 2026, it operated daily from both Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and NRT, alongside limited service from Osaka Kansai. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows the carrier offered approximately 329,700 two-way seats across the three routes.
The Star Alliance member is also expanding elsewhere in Japan, launching three-times-weekly seasonal flights between Vancouver and Sapporo on Dec. 17. The 787 service is scheduled to operate through March 2027.
Overall, Air Canada provided about 124,800 seats between NRT and Toronto during the summer 2026 season. Based on its published schedule, Zipair’s entry will add approximately 71,900 seats to the airport pair during the northern summer 2027 season.
The move comes as the wider Japan-Canada market continues to grow modestly.
Airlines offered approximately 1.16 million two-way seats during summer 2026, up 3.5% from 1.12 million a year earlier. Air Canada accounted for 62% of capacity, followed by All Nippon Airways at 11.9%, WestJet at 11.6%, Zipair at 7.5% and Japan Airlines at 7.1%. Capacity is also scheduled to rise by a further 1.8% during winter 2026-27 to approximately 707,400 seats.
Sabre Market Intelligence estimates that approximately 1.22 million two-way passengers traveled between Japan and Canada during the 12 months through June 2026, up 19.7% from about 1.02 million in the previous 12-month period. Toronto was the second-largest Canadian destination, attracting approximately 338,400 passengers from across Japan, an increase of 24.5%. Vancouver led with about 441,000 passengers, followed by Calgary at 136,500 and Montreal at 100,300.
Related Content
