Air Canada Resumes Nonstop Services to Quito

Immediate operational details and schedule

Air Canada will resume nonstop services to Quito from Canada on 4 December, deploying Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with a capacity of 255 passengers. The seasonal operation runs through the end of March 2027 and comprises three weekly frequencies on the Montreal–Quito sector and one weekly frequency on the Toronto–Quito sector, reinstating direct links that support both tourism flows and diaspora travel.

Published timetable and frequencies

Operational implications for hubs and connectivity

The new seasonal service leverages Air Canada's global hub network to funnel passengers through Toronto and Montreal, improving connectivity for transfers from Europe, North America, and transpacific gateways. The schedule — overnight arrival with morning departures — is optimized for tight connections and positions Quito as a more accessible South American destination for winter travel. Increased seat capacity during the peak season is expected to absorb pent-up leisure demand and facilitate business links between Canada and Ecuador.

Stakeholders and negotiation background

The reinstatement follows multi-year negotiations led by Corporación Quiport, Quito’s airport operator, which engaged with the carrier to recover nonstop access to two major Canadian metropolitan areas. Corporate engagement focused on demonstrating sustainable demand, slot availability at Mariscal Sucre International Airport, and commercial incentives aligned with winter-season traffic. The arrangement signals a strategic collaboration between airport management and an international flag carrier to rebuild route networks after the global travel slowdown of recent years.

• Operator: Air Canada
• Airport partner: Corporación Quiport
• Start date: 4 December
• Seasonal period: December 2026 – March 2027
• Aircraft type: Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Economic and social effects

Restored nonstop flights are likely to produce short- and medium-term impacts across several vectors: tourism volumes, bilateral business travel, and family visits by the Ecuadorian community in Canada. Easier direct access supports inbound leisure tourism into Ecuador’s highlands and the capital’s cultural attractions, while outbound connectivity encourages Canadian travellers to include Quito in multi-destination itineraries. For trade and cargo, the presence of widebody aircraft increases potential belly-hold capacity for perishables, handicrafts, and time-sensitive goods, offering exporters more consistent access to North American markets.

Local industry response and market potential

Airline route recoveries generally prompt ancillary demand in ground services, hospitality, and tour operations. Quito’s tourism suppliers may see a seasonal uptick in hotel occupancy and guided activities. The direct services also reduce itinerary friction for business delegations and can improve conference and meeting tourism. Corporación Quiport has positioned Quito as the principal gateway for Ecuador, and reintroducing Canadian nonstop flights strengthens that positioning by increasing the number of nonstop destinations served from the airport.

Historical context of Quito’s international air links

Quito’s modern international connectivity has expanded since the opening of the relocated Mariscal Sucre International Airport in 2013, managed under long-term concession by Corporación Quiport. That move enabled longer-haul international routes and improved operational reliability compared with the old airport’s geographic constraints. Over the past decade, Quito has seen a gradual increase in direct links to North and South American hubs, European gateways, and seasonal long-haul services driven by tourism growth and airline network strategies.

Air service between Canada and Ecuador has fluctuated with changing demand patterns, currency movements, and global disruptions. The reappearance of a national carrier such as Air Canada on nonstop Quito routes marks a phase of network rebuilding rather than expansion alone: airlines are selectively reinstating markets that produced stable yields pre-disruption or that show clear recovery potential.

Outlook: what this means for international tourism and travel planning

In the short term, the December-to-March seasonal service should stimulate winter travel bookings from Canada to Ecuador, while strengthening outbound connections for Ecuadorians visiting relatives or conducting business. Over a longer horizon, sustained demand could justify increased frequencies or year-round service, contingent on load factors and yield performance. Travel operators and destination marketers can leverage the direct link to promote combined itineraries that include Quito’s cultural sites and Ecuador’s broader destination mix.

Potential triggers that would extend service beyond the season

1. Consistently high load factors across the seasonal window.
2. Improved bilateral tourism promotion and travel facilitation measures.
3. Growth in point-to-point business traffic and cargo demand.
4. Airline commercial adjustments to hub feed schedules enhancing connectivity.

Conclusion and summary

The reinstatement of nonstop Air Canada services to Quito from Montreal and Toronto represents a strategically timed restoration of capacity that supports winter tourism, diaspora travel, and commercial links. Operating three weekly frequencies from Montreal and one from Toronto on Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, the flights open overnight arrival windows that favor international connections and cargo uplift. The move is the result of sustained negotiation by Corporación Quiport and aligns with broader efforts to position Quito as Ecuador’s main gateway.

GetBoat.com is always keeping an eye on the latest tourism news. The resumption of these routes will be important to watch for travellers and industry stakeholders monitoring new destinations, seasonal demand trends, and connectivity shifts that influence travel planning across air, land, and leisure sectors.