Air Canada Express is a brand name of regional feeder flights for Air Canada that are subcontracted to other airlines. Presently, Jazz Aviation and PAL Airlines are the sole operators of Air Canada Express flights. They primarily connect smaller cities with Air Canada's domestic hub airports and focus cities, although they offer some point-to-point and international service to the United States.
 | |
| Founded | 3 May 2011 |
|---|---|
| Hubs |
|
| Focus cities |
|
| Frequent-flyer program | Aeroplan |
| Alliance | Star Alliance (affiliate) |
| Fleet size | 110 |
| Parent company | Air Canada |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
On 26 April 2011, Air Canada announced its intention to retire the Air Canada Jazz brand and create the Air Canada Express brand.[1] Prior to establishing the Express name, the flights operated primarily under the Air Canada JazzorAir Canada Alliance banners.
As of January 2020, Air Georgian no longer provides services under the capacity purchase agreement. Those services were transferred back to Jazz Aviation. On 1 March 2021, it was also announced that Sky Regional would also no longer provide services under the capacity purchase agreement and therefore Jazz Aviation would become the sole operator of the express brand.[2]
However, in May 2023, Air Canada signed a letter of intent with PAL Airlines for a five-year capacity purchase agreement. This deal involved the purchase of up to six de Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 planes from Air Canada, which PAL Airlines would operate under the Air Canada Express brand in addition to their existing schedule and charter business.[3] In the announcement, Air Canada described the prospective agreement with PAL Airlines as a "bridging arrangement" due to a need for additional regional capacity as a result of industry-wide pilot shortages.[citation needed] Service with PAL began in July 2023.[4]
As of June 2024, the fleet consists of the following aircraft:[5][6]
| Operator | Aircraft | In service | Passengers | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | Y | Total | |||
| Jazz Aviation | De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 | 39 | – | 78 | 78 |
| Bombardier CRJ900[a] | 35 | 12 | 64 | 76 | |
| Embraer 175 | 25 | 12 | 64 | 76 | |
| PAL Airlines | De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 | 11 | – | 76 | 76 |
| Total | 110 | ||||
The Air Canada Express brand, through its various regional and commuter airline partners, operated a variety of turbofan and twin turboprop aircraft over the years including the following types: