Air Canada Resumes Rio de Janeiro–Toronto Route

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 28, Air Canada resumed direct flights between Rio de Janeiro–Galeão International Airport (GIG) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), operating three times weekly through March 27, 2027. The resumption comes about six weeks earlier than the previous season, which began on December 4, 2025.

Departures from Toronto are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Outbound flight AC84 departs Toronto at 23:55 local time and arrives in Rio at 11:05 the next day; return flight AC85 departs Rio at 20:00 and arrives in Toronto at 5:35 the next day.

Boeing 787-9 aircraft are used at the beginning and end of the season, configured with 298 seats, including 30 business class, 21 premium economy, and 247 economy seats. From December 1 to February 28, 2027, Air Canada will switch to the Boeing 777-300ER, increasing capacity to approximately 400 seats—103 more seats per flight, a capacity increase of about 34%—with frequencies and schedules unchanged.

According to statistics from the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), the route carried more than 13,000 passengers in the 2025/2026 season, with a load factor of about 90%, including 91.4% in December 2025 and 87.9% in January 2026.

With this resumption, two Canadian carriers now offer direct service on the Rio–Toronto route simultaneously. Air Transat entered the market on February 4, 2026, operating twice weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays), creating direct competition with Air Canada's three weekly flights.

São Paulo–Guarulhos to Toronto operates year-round, while the Montreal service increases to five weekly flights in the 2026–2027 winter season; both routes are operated with Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Rio–Toronto serves as seasonal supplementary capacity.