Air Canada announced plans to add two international routes next spring, linking Canada with a French Riviera city and a Franco‑Swiss hub. The moves are part of a broader network expansion slated for the spring of 2027.
The French market will be a key beneficiary of the spring network expansion, strengthening Air Canada’s Mediterranean presence.
Air Canada said it will raise its international capacity by more than 8% versus the summer of 2026. The program will feature over 125 routes, providing up to 169,000 seats each week to more than 85 destinations across Europe, the Asia‑Pacific region, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America.
A direct service between the Ontario city and the French Riviera city will run twice weekly from 16 June to 23 October 2027. Flights are scheduled for Wednesdays and Saturdays – an oddly split timetable that may appeal to both business and leisure travelers. The new link will sit alongside an existing seasonal Montreal‑Nice route and could evolve into a daily summer connection.
Analysts note that the added capacity could help the airline capture a larger share of transatlantic leisure traffic, especially as European vacation demand rebounds.
If passenger loads meet expectations, the carrier might consider extending the service beyond the current seasonal window.
Meanwhile, a Montreal‑Basel-Mulhouse connection will operate four times a week starting 16 June, with return flights on 17 June. The service will be flown on an Airbus A321XLR, offering nonstop access between Montreal and the Swiss‑French border region.
Flights begin on 16 June.
With these routes, the airline will become the only North American carrier serving eastern France and all three major Swiss cities, Zurich, Geneva and Basel, on a regular basis.
Current French coverage already includes direct flights from Paris‑Charles‑de‑Gaulle to Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, plus seasonal services from Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Toulouse and Nantes.
Seasonal flights from Nantes were added this year, expanding the French regional network beyond the traditional hubs.
Additional announcements include new connections from the Ontario city to Oslo and Shannon, a Montreal‑Dubrovnik line, and a year‑round Vancouver‑Canton service set to launch next spring.
The expansion reflects a strategic push to strengthen transatlantic links and diversify the carrier’s European presence as travel demand continues to recover.