Air Canada Cancels 3 Long-Haul Boeing 737 MAX Routes: See Full List Now

Published Nov 6, 2026, 3:04 PM EST Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Air Canada is a major player in the transatlantic aviation market. The airline maintains an extensive network of flights from Canada to Europe, and earlier this year the airline had three Boeing 737 MAX 8 flights across the pond that were cancelled. As part of Air Canada's network transformation, its fleet of MAX planes is being transitioned into its leisure-focused subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge. This will modernize Rouge's leisure network for services across North America, the Caribbean and Central America. This has seen the airline peel back from three transatlantic markets with the type. Swapping The MAX 8 For The Airbus A321XLR Credit: Air Canada With the MAX 8 having the range and capabilities to make nonstop flights from Canada's East Coast to Europe, the airline operated a number of routes with the type to destinations. These included Halifax / Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to both Edinburgh Airport (EDI) and Nantes (NTE). With the planes now being allocated elsewhere, these routes will move to the Airbus A321XLR instead, another narrowbody jet operated by the Star Alliance carrier, which is renowned for its long-range capabilities. Loading map… Drag to explore For Air Canada, this does not mark the end of the airline serving these city pairs, but instead optimizes its aircraft availability across its fleet. The following table, utilizing data from Cirium, highlights the routes affected by these changes: From To Boeing 737 MAX 8 Operational Dates New Aircraft Expected In 2027 Halifax (YHZ) London Heathrow (LHR) April 2022-December 2026 Airbus A321XLR Montreal (YUL) Edinburgh (EDI) June 2025-September 2026 Airbus A321XLR Montreal (YUL) Nantes (NTE) June 2026-July 2026 only Airbus A321XLR Four Transcontinental Routes Left With The Air Canada MAX 8 Credit: Air Canada Air Canada will continue to operate the 737 MAX on select transatlantic routes next summer, with the airline planning to operate flights from Halifax to Brussels Airport (BRU), Montreal and Toronto to Keflavik International Airport (KEF), and Toronto to Ponta Delgada (PDL). These changes indicate that a total of just 3.5% of all transatlantic flying for Air Canada will be operated by the MAX 8, down from 6.8% for the third quarter. A total of 329 flights were operated across the pond with this type for Air Canada this quarter alone. Complete data for the same quarters in the last five years below: Quarter/Year Total 737 MAX 8 Departures % of All AC Transatlantic Flights Q3 2023 184 4.5% Q3 2024 211 4.9% Q3 2025 249 5.5% Q3 2026 329 6.8% Q3 2027 188 3.5% Overall, this represents a decrease of 43% in transatlantic flights with the MAX between 2027 and 2026. Transitioning The MAX 8 To Air Canada Rouge Credit: Air Canada Air Canada will continue to transition the MAX 8 to Air Canada Rouge through the end of this year. The first phase of the transition began in March, with the service debuting on routes domestically from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and Kelowna (YLW). These planes are configured with a total of 177 seats, with 12 Business Class, 18 Preferred Extra Legroom, and 147 standard Economy. Unlike older Rouge planes, these aircraft retain the mainline features, including seatback entertainment, free Wi-Fi for the airline's Aeroplan frequent flyer members, and complimentary beer, wine, and snacks on select routes. Improvements to the Rouge fleet will cater to customers now enjoying upgraded cabins on shorter trips, with improved technology and enhanced smaller details that make the journey easier and more comfortable.