American Airlines marks 85 years of service in Canada

The carrier held a special gate ceremony yesterday at Toronto Pearson where they unveiled an expanded summer schedule and new routes

TORONTO — American Airlines is celebrating 85 years of service in Canada, marking the milestone with an expanded summer schedule, new routes and a community volunteer initiative in the Greater Toronto Area. Customers, team members and airport partners marked the milestone yesterday, July 14, at Toronto Pearson International Airport where AA executives, including José A. Freig, Vice President of International and Inflight Dining Operations, hosted a special gate ceremony for Flight AA1993 to Dallas Fort Worth. “Canada has long been a vital part of our international network, and we’re incredibly proud to have grown alongside the communities we serve here,” said Freig.

“From our earliest routes to today’s exciting milestones – including new routes connecting New York (JFK) with Calgary and Quebec City – we remain focused on delivering a reliable and enjoyable travel experience. Our success in Canada is a testament to the trust and loyalty of our customers and to the passion and dedication of our Canadian team, who bring our commitment to life every day.” American Airlines first launched Canadian operations on June 24, 1941, with a flight between Buffalo and Toronto aboard a DC-3 aircraft.

Today, American employs more than 200 people across six Canadian destinations: Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Québec City, Calgary and Halifax. Toronto Pearson also recognized the airline’s long history at the airport.

“American Airlines made history at Toronto Pearson by operating the airport’s first international commercial flight in 1941, a milestone that marked the beginning of 85 years of connecting Canada and the United States,” said Carl Jones, Head of Aviation Business Development, Toronto Pearson. “That legacy continues today, and we’re proud to celebrate this anniversary with the American Airlines team. We look forward to building on our longstanding partnership for many years to come.”

Anniversary Town Hall group EXPANDED CANADIAN SCHEDULE During the peak summer travel season, American will operate up to 61 daily departures from Canada to the United States, representing a more than 27% increase in capacity compared with the previous year. The schedule includes up to 28 daily flights from Toronto, 11 from Montréal, seven from Vancouver and up to six daily departures from Calgary, Halifax and Québec City. From Toronto, the airline is operating up to 186 weekly flights this summer to eight U.S. destinations:

Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, Miami, Chicago and Philadelphia. That represents a 5% increase in flights and a 10% increase in seat capacity compared with summer 2025. The airline is also introducing two new seasonal routes from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Service between JFK and Calgary will operate three times weekly from Aug. 6 to Oct. 4 aboard Boeing 737 aircraft, complementing existing Saturday flights between Calgary and New York-LaGuardia. Meanwhile, daily nonstop service between JFK and Québec City will operate from Aug. 5 through Oct. 12 aboard Embraer 175 aircraft. SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY American Airlines members partnering with Food Banks Mississauga

As part of its anniversary celebrations, American partnered with Food Banks Mississauga for a volunteer event involving more than 30 employees. Working alongside the organization, team members sorted food and supported warehouse operations, helping provide more than 12,000 meals for individuals and families experiencing food insecurity across the Toronto area. Lead image caption: Carl Jones, Head of Aviation Business Development, Toronto Pearson (left) and including José A. Freig, Vice President of International and Inflight Dining Operations at American Airlines at a special gate ceremony at Toronto Pearson, July 14, 2026