American Airlines is celebrating 80 years of service to Canada. On 24JUN 1941, the airline operated its first-ever international passenger flight from Buffalo, New York, to Toronto, Canada on a Douglas DC-3 aircraft with 21 customers onboard.
80 years later, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, American Airlines has provided service from four Canadian airports: YYC, YUL, YYZ, and YVR. Three additional airports, YHZ, YQB, and YOW, are scheduled to resume operations in spring 2022.
"I want to thank and congratulate our incredible team members in Canada who have formed our proud history operating our Canadian routes for 80 years," said José A. Freig, American's Vice President of International Operations. "Our first flight to Toronto paved the way for our international network expansion, I am grateful to our customers, Toronto Pearson Airport, and our team members for being part of this remarkable journey."
American Airlines has also released its Canada summer schedule, found below:
- YYZ to CL2 twice daily
- YYZ to ORD once daily
- YYZ to DFW once daily
- YYC to DFW twice daily
- YUL to CLT once daily
- YVR to DFW once daily
American Airlines also notes that schedules may vary.
The line is also committed to safely reopening travel, and has been working with policymakers at all levels to establish acceptable protocols.
"We're eager to build back our service to Canada as the recovery from the pandemic progresses," said Nate Gatten, Senior Vice President of Global Government Affairs for American Airlines. "As Canadian officials consider the path forward for travel and deliberate the easing of restrictions still in place, American stands ready to reconnect friends and family, enable long-awaited getaways, and support the economic connection between the U.S. and Canada ― all with an unwavering focus on the health and safety of our customers and team members."
American Airlines recently introduced VeriFly, a mobile health passport to help customers understand and verify travel requirements. Air travellers can use to app when travelling with the carrier from all international destinations to the U.S.
