Air Canada Launches 11 Long-Haul Boeing 787 Routes: See Full List Now

Published Nov 2, 2026, 2:00 PM EST Luke has over a decade of experience as a travel writer and aviation analyst. As a passionate traveler based across the Middle East and Asia, Luke offers strong insights into the industry. Based in South East Asia. Air Canada is preparing to use its Boeing 787 Dreamliners on 11 routes from November 2026. Along with new destinations, the Canadian carrier will deploy the 787 on returning services and on routes currently served by other aircraft types. Three cities will join the airline's network for the first time, namely Guangzhou (CAN), Sapporo (CTS) and Dubrovnik (DBV), while nonstop flights to Quito (UIO) will return from both Toronto and Montreal. Six routes will receive Dreamliner service during the 2026/27 winter season, with the remaining five changes to follow in May and June 2027. Air Canada's Boeing 787 Routes From November 2026 Credit: Vadim Rodnev | Shutterstock Air Canada will operate the 787 from all three of its main hubs: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Its first change will be a temporary one, scheduling a handful of Boeing 787-8 flights between Toronto and Phoenix (PHX) for November only. The Dreamliner has served the route before, with the airline operating a daily 787-9 during the 2023/24 winter season. December will then bring five additional 787 routes. From December 1, the airline's daily service between Vancouver and Cancun (CUN) will switch from the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to the 787-9, while Montreal–Quito and Toronto–Quito return with 787-8s on December 4 and 5, respectively. Route Start date Aircraft Frequency Toronto – Phoenix November 2026 787-8 Selected flights Vancouver – Cancun December 1, 2026 787-9 Daily Montreal – Quito December 4, 2026 787-8 3x weekly Toronto – Quito December 5, 2026 787-8 Weekly Toronto – Barcelona December 16, 2026 787-8 / 787-9 Up to daily Vancouver – Sapporo December 17, 2026 787-9 3x weekly Vancouver – Guangzhou May 4, 2027 787-9 3x weekly Montreal – Dubrovnik May 11, 2027 787-8 3x weekly Montreal – Tel Aviv May 2027 787-9 3x weekly Toronto – Prague May 2027 787-9 3x weekly Toronto – Stockholm June 2027 787-9 Up to 5x weekly Toronto–Barcelona (BCN), normally a summer route, was initially scheduled to receive three weekly 787-8 flights between December 16 and January 9. However, this will rise to up to a daily flight over the holiday period, using both the 787-8 and 787-9. Vancouver–Sapporo then launches on December 17 with three weekly Boeing 787-9 services. The remaining five changes will take place during summer 2027. Vancouver–Guangzhou launches on May 4, followed by Montreal–Dubrovnik on May 11, with both routes operating three times weekly. Montreal–Tel Aviv (TLV) will also return with three weekly 787-9 flights in May. Toronto–Prague (PRG) and Toronto–Stockholm (ARN) will switch to the 787-9 in May and June, respectively. New Destinations In Asia, Europe & South America Credit: Felix Tchvertkin | Shutterstock At 6,340 miles (10,203 km), Vancouver–Guangzhou is the longest of the 11 routes and will become Air Canada's third destination in mainland China, joining Beijing and Shanghai. The carrier will become the only North American airline serving Guangzhou, although it will face competition from China Southern Airlines, which already flies between Guangzhou and Vancouver. When announcing Vancouver–Sapporo, Air Canada said it would be the only nonstop connection between North America and Hokkaido. However, United Airlines has since announced it will launch a three-times-weekly 787-9 service from San Francisco on December 11, six days before Air Canada's first flight. Air Canada originally planned to use the 787-8, but its latest schedule update now shows the 787-9 operating every flight. Loading map… Drag to explore Dubrovnik will mark Air Canada's return to Croatia for the first time since summer 2019. The seasonal service will run until October 24, using the smaller 787-8. Meanwhile, Quito will rejoin Air Canada's network for the first time since March 2020. The airline previously operated seasonal flights from Toronto using Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300s, but suspended the service at the start of the pandemic. It will become the only airline offering nonstop flights between Canada and Ecuador, flying from both Montreal and Toronto until March 2027. What Passengers Can Expect Onboard Air Canada's Boeing 787s Credit: i viewfinder | Shutterstock Air Canada's Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 both offer three cabin classes, with Signature Class (business class), Premium Economy and Economy. The 787-8 has 20 Signature Class seats, 21 Premium Economy seats and 214 Economy seats, while the larger 787-9 increases capacity to 30 Signature Class, 21 Premium Economy and 247 Economy seats. Signature Class features lie-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout, giving every passenger direct aisle access. Premium Economy is set up in a 2-3-2 layout, while Economy is arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. Air Canada currently operates 40 Boeing 787s, comprising eight 787-8s and 32 787-9s. It also has 14 Boeing 787-10s on order, with the first expected to arrive around the end of 2026.