Air Canada is doubling down on the Mexican market ahead of the busy summer peak, publishing schedule changes on February 24 that sharply increase capacity from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The carrier will up-gauge or add frequencies on five routes:
• Montreal–Cancún jumps from 7 to 11 weekly flights starting June 1.
• Toronto–Monterrey rises from 3 to 4 weekly rotations as of May 3.
• Vancouver–Mexico City climbs from daily to 11 weekly flights from June 27.
• Vancouver–Puerto Vallarta moves to twice weekly beginning May 2.
• A brand-new Montreal–Guadalajara service launches June 2 with three weekly A220s.
The additions collectively add more than 2,500 weekly seats each way and underline Mexico’s status as Canada’s second-largest outbound leisure destination after the United States. They also reflect a strategic pivot toward “visiting-friends-and-relatives” (VFR) traffic in secondary Mexican cities such as Guadalajara and Monterrey, both of which have sizable expatriate communities in Quebec and Ontario.
![Air Canada boosts summer 2026 lift to Mexico on key leisure and VFR routes]()
For travelers sorting through multiple entry requirements for Canada-Mexico itineraries, VisaHQ can simplify the process. The platform’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides step-by-step guidance on eTAs for connecting passengers, Mexican visitor visas, and other documentation, helping corporate mobility teams secure approvals quickly while keeping compliance risk in check.
For global mobility practitioners, the schedule changes expand same-day connection possibilities for Asia-Pacific and European assignees transiting via Canada en route to Mexico. The extra lift may also ease pressure on notoriously tight award inventory during school holidays. Employers running projects tied to the growing near-shoring boom in northern Mexico should review travel budgets, as introductory fares are currently priced 15–20 percent below 2025 levels but are expected to rise once early booking classes sell out.
The moves come as WestJet pares back several Mexico frequencies this summer, giving Air Canada a larger share of the market from Western Canada. Analysts say Air Canada is leveraging its Rouge low-cost subsidiary and new-generation A220 fleet to profitably serve mid-density routes that once struggled to sustain wide-body service.
• Montreal–Cancún jumps from 7 to 11 weekly flights starting June 1.
• Toronto–Monterrey rises from 3 to 4 weekly rotations as of May 3.
• Vancouver–Mexico City climbs from daily to 11 weekly flights from June 27.
• Vancouver–Puerto Vallarta moves to twice weekly beginning May 2.
• A brand-new Montreal–Guadalajara service launches June 2 with three weekly A220s.
The additions collectively add more than 2,500 weekly seats each way and underline Mexico’s status as Canada’s second-largest outbound leisure destination after the United States. They also reflect a strategic pivot toward “visiting-friends-and-relatives” (VFR) traffic in secondary Mexican cities such as Guadalajara and Monterrey, both of which have sizable expatriate communities in Quebec and Ontario.
For travelers sorting through multiple entry requirements for Canada-Mexico itineraries, VisaHQ can simplify the process. The platform’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) provides step-by-step guidance on eTAs for connecting passengers, Mexican visitor visas, and other documentation, helping corporate mobility teams secure approvals quickly while keeping compliance risk in check.
For global mobility practitioners, the schedule changes expand same-day connection possibilities for Asia-Pacific and European assignees transiting via Canada en route to Mexico. The extra lift may also ease pressure on notoriously tight award inventory during school holidays. Employers running projects tied to the growing near-shoring boom in northern Mexico should review travel budgets, as introductory fares are currently priced 15–20 percent below 2025 levels but are expected to rise once early booking classes sell out.
The moves come as WestJet pares back several Mexico frequencies this summer, giving Air Canada a larger share of the market from Western Canada. Analysts say Air Canada is leveraging its Rouge low-cost subsidiary and new-generation A220 fleet to profitably serve mid-density routes that once struggled to sustain wide-body service.
