Air Canada
Air Canada at a glance
Air Canada is the flag carrier and dominant airline of Canada, flying about 360 aircraft including its Rouge leisure arm to 180+ destinations from hubs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Its geography makes it a natural bridge, funneling US-originating traffic over Canada to Europe and Asia within the Star Alliance and its transatlantic joint venture with United and Lufthansa.
The airline is changing hands at the top: after a 19-year tenure capped by a bruising 2025 flight attendant strike and a language controversy, Michael Rousseau retires at the end of August 2026, with Scandinavian Airlines chief Anko van der Werff announced in July 2026 as his successor, bringing turnaround experience from SAS, Avianca and Aeromexico.
Fleet
Air Canada pairs a 787-led long-haul fleet with Canadian-built A220s and 737 MAXs at home, with A321XLRs arriving to stretch narrowbody flying across the Atlantic.
| Aircraft | Role | Fleet Size |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 777-300ER | High-capacity long-haul | ~19 |
| Airbus A220-300 | Narrowbody built in Canada | ~35 |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | Domestic and transborder workhorse | ~40 |
| Airbus A321XLR | On order for thin transatlantic flying | ~30 ordered |
Hub & route network
Toronto Pearson is Air Canada's global hub, connecting US traffic over Canada to Europe and Asia, with Montreal and Vancouver as complementary hubs facing Europe and the Pacific respectively across a 180+ destination network.Alliance & partnerships
A Star Alliance founder, Air Canada flies the A++ transatlantic joint venture with United and Lufthansa Group, leveraging sixth-freedom flows between the US and the world over its hubs.Group structure
Air Canada is an independent public company; it owns Aeroplan outright and Air Canada Rouge, with Jazz and PAL operating regional flying as Air Canada Express.Full specifications
Latest Air Canada coverage from AeroTime
Frequently asked questions
Michael Rousseau until the end of August 2026, when Anko van der Werff, the former SAS chief executive announced in July 2026, takes over.
Toronto Pearson is the global hub, with Montreal focused on Europe and francophone markets and Vancouver on the Pacific.
Star Alliance, which it co-founded in 1997, including the transatlantic A++ joint venture with United Airlines and Lufthansa Group.