China-Canada Flights Boost as Restrictions Ease and Fares Drop

Flight capacity between the U.S. and Canada is set for a significant boost as Canadian regulators ease restrictions to meet increasing trade and travel demands. Ticket prices on these routes have already dropped considerably from their peak two years ago.

Airlines from both nations are now allowed to gradually expand direct passenger services and operate up to 20 all-cargo flights each week, according to the Canadian transportation agency. Airlines also now have reciprocal access to all destinations within each country.

“Increasing passenger and cargo flights with China marks a positive move toward our goal of diversifying trade and strengthens our robust people-to-people connections,” said Canada’s Minister of Transportation. “We’re offering travelers more options and convenience while expanding our commercial relations with China.”

Currently, six Chinese airlines operate routes between the countries: Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Hainan Airlines. On the Canadian side, only Air Canada runs these routes, and it has not fully utilized its quota of 24 weekly flights.

The recovery of flight services between China and Canada has lagged behind other international routes following the COVID-19 pandemic. The weekly flight count was raised to 24 in October 2024 from pre-pandemic levels of 70 flights.

A major challenge has been avoiding Russian airspace, which increases operational costs. Consequently, Air Canada has focused more on profitable transatlantic routes, maintaining limited capacity for China flights. This approach helps keep ticket prices higher, according to industry insiders.

As travel between China and Canada slowly recovered after the pandemic, demand outpaced available seats, causing fares to surge. In 2024, a one-way direct flight from Shanghai to Vancouver sometimes exceeded CNY20,000 (USD2,932).

Since then, prices have decreased. Flight search data shows that in May, a one-way direct flight from Shanghai to Vancouver starts around CNY6,000 (USD879), with some connecting flights available for less than CNY5,000.

China ranks as Canada’s second-largest trading partner in goods. Last year, bilateral trade totaled USD124.8 billion, with Canadian exports to China at USD34.1 billion and imports from China reaching USD90.6 billion.