Air Canada Airbus A330 @YUL · abdallahh · CC BY 2.0 · cropped
Air Canada said on Sept. 3, 2026, that summer 2027 will bring five new international destinations and seven new routes, according to Air Canada’s official newsroom. The first new flight is Vancouver to Guangzhou on May 4, 2027. Seasonal Europe services then follow from Toronto Pearson and Montreal Trudeau through October, with extra frequencies on several routes the airline already flies.
The traveler decision is which Canadian hub to use, which city pair to target, and when to watch inventory, because Guangzhou and Oslo still need government approvals. Start with Deep Arrival’s airlines coverage if you are comparing long-haul options, then match your origin to Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal. Independent reporting from AirlineGeeks on Sept. 3 confirmed the same five new cities and the published start dates.
- Announced: Sept. 3, 2026, in Air Canada’s Montreal newsroom.
- New cities: Guangzhou, Oslo, Shannon, Basel, and Dubrovnik.
- First flight: Vancouver to Guangzhou on May 4, 2027, three times weekly, year-round.
- Toronto Europe: Oslo from June 2, Shannon from June 10, Nice from June 16, 2027.
- Catch: Guangzhou and Oslo remain subject to government approvals; schedules can change.
Five Destinations Join the Summer 2027 Map
Air Canada framed the package as its most extensive intercontinental expansion, with more than 125 international routes and up to 169,000 seats a week from Canada to more than 85 destinations. That is a more than eight percent increase in available seat miles on those regions versus summer 2026, the airline said. The five new cities are Guangzhou in China, Oslo in Norway, Shannon in Ireland, Basel in Switzerland, and Dubrovnik in Croatia.
Seven new routes carry those cities: Vancouver to Guangzhou; Toronto to Oslo, Shannon, and Nice; and Montreal to Basel and Dubrovnik. Nice is not a new Air Canada city. The airline already flies Montreal to Nice, and the Toronto flight makes a combined daily pattern in peak summer. Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s chief commercial officer, called the package part of the airline’s New Frontiers plan. Treat that as strategy, not a booking guarantee. The facts that matter are the city pairs, first dates, frequencies, and the approval asterisks on Guangzhou and Oslo.
Toronto Adds Oslo, Shannon, and Nice
Toronto Pearson is the largest piece of the map. Air Canada will fly AC940 from Toronto to Oslo at 21:30, arriving 11:15 the next day, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from June 2, 2027, to Oct. 10, 2027. The return, AC941, leaves Oslo at 12:30 and lands in Toronto at 14:40 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays through Oct. 11.
The airline said those Oslo flights will use new Airbus A321XLR aircraft with a two-cabin layout that includes lie-flat Signature seats.
Shannon is the second new Toronto city. AC968 leaves Toronto at 21:30 and arrives Shannon at 09:05 the next day on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from June 10, 2027, to Oct. 2, 2027. AC969 returns at 10:20, landing in Toronto at 12:35 on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays through Oct. 3. Deep Arrival already covered Shannon Airport’s own June 10, 2027, Toronto start. The airline said Shannon is its second Irish city after Dublin, and that the flights will also use the A321XLR with Signature lie-flat seats.
Toronto to Nice is the third new Pearson route, on Airbus A330-300 aircraft with Signature, Premium Economy, and Economy. AC964 leaves Toronto at 19:30 and arrives Nice at 09:40 the next day on Wednesdays and Saturdays from June 16, 2027, to Oct. 23, 2027. AC965 leaves Nice at 11:10 and returns to Toronto at 14:30 on the same days. Air Canada said the Toronto flight will sit alongside its existing Montreal to Nice service so the two hubs together can offer daily summer access to the French Riviera.
Montreal and Vancouver Complete the Network
Montreal Trudeau adds two seasonal Europe routes. AC966 leaves Montreal for Basel-Mulhouse at 20:30, arriving 10:10 the next day, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from June 16, 2027, to Oct. 23, 2027. AC967 returns from Basel at 12:15, landing in Montreal at 14:40 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Oct. 24.
Air Canada said it will be the only Canadian carrier offering a premium lie-flat cabin on the Basel route.
Dubrovnik is the earlier Montreal start. AC950 leaves Montreal at 18:15 and arrives Dubrovnik at 08:30 the next day on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from May 11, 2027, to Oct. 23, 2027. AC951 leaves Dubrovnik at 10:45 and lands in Montreal at 13:45 on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays through Oct. 24. AirlineGeeks did not publish a different start date.
Vancouver International supplies the Pacific route. AC77 leaves Vancouver at 00:35 and arrives Guangzhou at 05:00 the next day on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, year-round from May 4, 2027. AC76 leaves Guangzhou at 09:45 and arrives Vancouver at 06:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from May 5, 2027. Air Canada said Guangzhou will be its third mainland China city and that it will be the only North American carrier serving the Pearl River Delta capital, subject to government approvals.
Year-Round Upgrades and the Heathrow Day Tripper
The same Sept. 3 package also converts several announced or seasonal flights into year-round flying. Toronto to Shanghai rises to daily in summer 2027. Toronto to Guatemala City, which the airline said will launch in December 2026, will then run year-round instead of as a seasonal sun route. Montreal to Tenerife, Lima, and Guatemala City will also move to year-round, according to the newsroom release and AirlineGeeks.
Air Canada will restore its Toronto to London Heathrow Day-tripper, a morning departure from Pearson that arrives in London in the evening. AirlineGeeks noted that the carrier did not publish the exact restart date. Do not treat that flight as a dated booking target until Air Canada posts a first-flight day. It is a schedule restoration, not one of the seven new city pairs.
Aircraft, Hubs, and What Is Still Unclear
Air Canada said the expansion uses incoming Airbus A321XLR jets and additional widebody capacity. The official Toronto hub release is specific on three routes: Oslo and Shannon on the A321XLR with lie-flat Signature seats, and Nice on the A330-300 with three cabins. The main newsroom release does not name the aircraft for Guangzhou, Basel, or Dubrovnik. Do not assume those three flights are XLR missions until the airline publishes a fleet assignment.
Times above are as published in Air Canada’s tables and can shift. The footnotes are blunt: Guangzhou and Oslo are subject to government approvals, and all schedules are subject to change. That is the difference between a confirmed city pair and a ticket you can lock. Shannon, Nice, Basel, and Dubrovnik do not carry the approval asterisk in the official tables.
US travelers can use the three Canadian hubs as connections. Air Canada said the new Oslo, Shannon, and Nice flights are timed to connect at Toronto Pearson to points across North America. Montreal plays the same role for Basel and Dubrovnik, and Vancouver is the Pacific gate for Guangzhou. That does not replace a US nonstop if one exists.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Connect through Toronto | Watch Oslo from June 2, Shannon from June 10, and Nice from June 16, 2027. |
| Connect through Montreal | Use Dubrovnik from May 11 and Basel from June 16, 2027. |
| Need China from Vancouver | Plan Guangzhou from May 4, 2027, but wait for approval clearance. |
| Want lie-flat on a new Europe route | Oslo and Shannon are assigned to the A321XLR with Signature seats. |
May 4, 2027, is the first new flight. Vancouver to Guangzhou is year-round and three times weekly, but it remains subject to government approvals. Do not lock nonrefundable China hotels until that asterisk drops.
May 11 to June 16, 2027, is the Europe cluster. Dubrovnik starts May 11 from Montreal. Toronto adds Oslo on June 2, Shannon on June 10, and Nice on June 16. Montreal to Basel starts June 16.
Government approvals are the booking gate for Oslo and Guangzhou. Shannon, Nice, Basel, and Dubrovnik do not carry that asterisk in Air Canada’s tables. Treat those four as the firmer summer 2027 holds.
When do Air Canada’s new summer 2027 routes start?
Vancouver to Guangzhou begins May 4, 2027. Montreal to Dubrovnik begins May 11. Toronto to Oslo begins June 2, Shannon June 10, and Nice June 16. Montreal to Basel begins June 16. Seasonal Europe routes run into October 2027.
Are Guangzhou and Oslo fully approved?
Not yet. Air Canada’s official tables mark both city pairs as subject to government approvals. Shannon, Nice, Basel, and Dubrovnik do not carry that asterisk.
What aircraft will fly the new Toronto Europe routes?
Air Canada said Oslo and Shannon will use Airbus A321XLR jets with lie-flat Signature seats. Toronto to Nice will use Airbus A330-300 aircraft with Signature, Premium Economy, and Economy.
Can US travelers use these flights?
Yes, as connections over Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal. Air Canada said the new Toronto and Montreal flights are timed to connect to North American cities. They are not new US nonstops.
