Air Canada Launches New 9-Hour Nonstop A321XLR Route Today: See Schedule Now

Published Oct 25, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT 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 departed for the Canary Islands on Sunday, as the Star Alliance carrier launched nonstop flights from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Tenerife South Airport (TFS). The service becomes the only nonstop flight to the Canary Islands from Canada, but this will be quickly followed by Air Transat, which plans to launch its own nonstop flights to the Spanish archipelago in December, including flights to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (LPA). Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) will soon follow Air Canada's Toronto service, with the French-speaking city getting its own nonstop link one week later, with this once-weekly service beginning on October 31. Both routes are to operate seasonally, through until the end of the Northern Hemisphere winter season, with final rotations expected in late April. Connecting Toronto to the Canaries: Air Canada's New A321XLR Service Credit: Air Canada Served with the airline's Airbus A321XLR, these long-haul capable narrowbody jets provide opportunities for airlines to experiment with niche routes that otherwise could not sustain widebody operations. Air Canada is taking frequent deliveries of the type, and this has seen the airline's European network explode with a number of new routes recently announced. Tenerife is the latest to come online, with Toronto to Tenerife South to be served twice a week with the A321XLR. Flights will depart from Canada's largest city on Thursday and Sunday, with an 8:35 PM departure time, for the near nine-hour nonstop overnight service. Loading map… Drag to explore Return flights will depart on Monday and Friday, with a late morning departure from Tenerife, and then a mid-afternoon arrival back to Toronto. View the full schedule for the airline's Tenerife flights below: Flight Number Frequency Dep. Airport Dep. Time Arr. Airport Arr. Time Aircraft Days Operated Launch Date AC954 2x Weekly Toronto (YYZ) 8:35 PM Tenerife South (TFS) 9:00 AM + 1 Day Airbus A321XLR Thursday, Sunday October 25, 2026 AC955 2x Weekly Tenerife South (TFS) 10:55 AM Toronto (YYZ) 2:50 PM Airbus A321XLR Monday, Friday October 26, 2026 Montreal To Tenerife Flights Will Be Added A Week Later Credit: Air Canada Nonstop flights from Montreal will also be added by Air Canada to Tenerife South on October 31, as the airline schedules a once-weekly service to Tenerife, complementing the twice-weekly service from Toronto. These flights will depart on a Saturday night, for the overnight service to the Canary Islands. Return flights will operate on a Sunday morning. You can view the full schedule for Montreal flights below: Flight Number Frequency Dep. Airport Dep. Time Arr. Airport Arr. Time Aircraft Days Operated Launch Date AC956 1x Weekly Montreal (YUL) 9:00 PM Tenerife South (TFS) 9:00 AM + 1 Day Airbus A321XLR Saturday October 31, 2026 AC957 1x Weekly Tenerife South (TFS) 10:55 AM Montreal (YUL) 2:10 PM Airbus A321XLR Sunday November 1, 2026 Air Canada's move to add new services to Tenerife comes as the airline explores new routes with the long-haul-capable A321XLR, while also expanding its winter sun leisure network. These new services will create the first-ever nonstop air link between North America and the Spanish archipelago. These high-demand leisure routes will be popular for Canadians looking for new destinations to escape the cold winter temperatures, with Tenerife offering year-round warmth and sun, with a mix of all-inclusive resorts and other accommodation options. Air Transat Adds Las Palmas To Its European Network Credit: Emptywalls.uk | Shutterstock Air Canada will be the only carrier between North America and the Canary Islands for a matter of weeks, as leisure-focused airline Air Transat adds its own services to Gran Canaria (Las Palmas) from December. The airline will add a nonstop flight once a week from both Montreal and Toronto in early December with its Airbus A321neo. View the Montreal and Toronto schedules in the table below: Flight Number Frequency Dep. Airport Dep. Time Arr. Airport Arr. Time Aircraft Days Operated Launch Date TS456 1x Weekly Montreal (YUL) 7:45 PM Gran Canaria (LPA) 7:35 AM + 1 Day Airbus A321neo Saturday December 12, 2026 TS457 1x Weekly Gran Canaria (LPA) 9:05 AM Montreal (YUL) 12:15 PM Airbus A321neo Sunday December 13, 2026 Flight Number Frequency Dep. Airport Dep. Time Arr. Airport Arr. Time Aircraft Days Operated Launch Date TS376 1x Weekly Toronto (YYZ) 7:00 PM Gran Canaria (LPA) 7:20 AM + 1 Day Airbus A321neo Sunday December 13, 2026 TS457 1x Weekly Gran Canaria (LPA) 8:50 AM Toronto (YYZ) 12:55 PM Airbus A321neo Monday December 14, 2026 The addition of Gran Canaria makes it Air Transat's fifth Spanish destination after Madrid, Malaga, Barcelona and Valencia. Gran Canaria is an attractive destination for sun seekers and a fresh alternative to the traditional Caribbean and Latin America package holidays.