Air Canada is looking to increase its service to several key South American destinations. The carrier will add frequencies on routes to Sao Paulo and Bogota while resuming operations for several flights from Montreal. Let’s investigate further.

Air Canada’s plans

Due to the many travel restrictions in Canada and South America, Air Canada has slowly been restoring its pre-pandemic capacity. To put it in perspective, Air Canada’s transatlantic recovery has been better so far than the domestic, according to Mark Galardo, the airline’s senior vice president of Network Planning and Revenue Management.

As of October 2021, Air Canada is offering 332 flights to Latin America, according to Cirium. The carrier flies to Bogota, Cancun, Sao Paulo, Liberia, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, and San Jose. The two most important routes are Toronto-Mexico City and Toronto-Cancun, with a daily flight each.

But the airline is already planning to increase its connectivity to South America, according to a statement.

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Plans in Brazil

On December 6, the Canadian flag carrier will increase its frequencies between Toronto and Brazil’s financial center of Sao Paulo. It will go from four flights per week to a daily service.

Then, on December 8, Air Canada aims to resume its service between Montreal and Sao Paulo. The carrier will offer four flights per week on a year-round basis.

Air Canada will use its flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner on both routes.

Plans in Colombia

The airline is currently flying between Toronto and Bogota on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It offers 765 seats per week to the Colombian capital city.

On November 7, Air Canada will increase to four flights per week. Then, on December 2, it will resume its service from Montreal to Bogota, all operated on an Airbus A330-300.

Additionally, flights to Bogota will allow customers to easily connect onward throughout Colombia and other South American destinations via Star Alliance partner Avianca, the airline said. Avianca will also launch a Bogota-Toronto flight in December.

Chile and Argentina

Air Canada is already planning to resume operations both in Chile and Argentina.

The carrier could fly again between Toronto and Santiago de Chile in January 2022, with three weekly flights.

Regarding Buenos Aires, Argentina, Air Canada says it is committed to resuming the route. It will connect with the Argentinian city from Toronto or Montreal via Sao Paulo, Brazil. Nevertheless, the flights to Buenos Aires are still pending on government approval. The Argentinian government has announced plans to reopen to international tourists as of November 1.

Strong commitment in Latin America

Finally, Mark Galardo said in a statement,

“We are very excited to serve some of the largest cities in South America, offering our customers more travel options from our main hubs. By resuming services from Montreal and adding capacity from Toronto, Air Canada is demonstrating its strong commitment to the Brazilian, Argentinian, Colombian and Chilean markets.

"This increased presence will not only allow for greater leisure travel but will also help spur the economic recovery and facilitate business connections. Air Canada has a long-standing presence in Brazil, operating from Toronto for several decades, contributing to the strong business relationship between the two countries.”

Have you traveled on Air Canada to South America? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.