Next summer will be an exciting time for Canadians interested in visiting Europe. Air Canada plans to launch and expand new routes as part of its summer 2024 flight schedule. Due to strong demand for international travel among Canadians, the airline expects to return to pre-pandemic levels for transatlantic capacity. Connecting through Canadian hubs is also a great option for travelers looking at affordable but quality travel across The Pond.

Air Canada's Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning Mark Galardo said: "Air Canada saw a tremendous rebound in international flying this past summer, particularly on the trans-Atlantic, and we expect Europe will remain popular next year. In anticipation of this, we are expanding our flying schedule to offer customers more choice and flexibility as they begin to plan their 2024 holidays."

Air Canada will launch a nonstop service between its Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) hub and Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD). This service will be the airline's second route to Madrid after an existing service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Air Canada's Montreal-Madrid service will use a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft with 255 seats in three cabin classes. All passengers can take advantage of points with Air Canada's loyalty program, Aeroplan. Furthermore, eligible passengers can access priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounges, and early boarding.

[YUL,MAD]

The flight numbers for this route, AC 834 and AC 835, are currently used for an Air Canada service between Toronto and Brussels Airport (BRU). Once operational next May, the airline plans to use these numbers for its Montreal-Madrid route. Flight AC 834 will depart from Montreal at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and arrive in Madrid at 9:40 a.m. Central European Time (CET) the next day. Flight AC 835 will leave Madrid at 1:15 p.m. CET and land in Montreal at 3:20 p.m. ET. Air Canada will offer both flights five times a week.

Air Canada also plans to expand its transatlantic connectivity for next summer. The airline offers 51 nonstop routes to 30 destinations across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India. Air Canada's Toronto and Montreal hubs will rank as North America's third and fifth largest in average daily transatlantic seats, respectively. 

Aside from Toronto and Montreal, Air Canada provides transatlantic service from the following airports:

• Calgary International Airport (YYC)
• Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
• Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

Galardo said about expanded transatlantic connectivity: "We are excited to announce a significant expansion of our service offering to Italy, with a combined three daily flights from Toronto and Montreal to Rome, as well as daily services to Milan and Venice. This underpins the importance of Italy in Air Canada's global network, as we are the largest carrier between Canada and Italy, and the only one connecting the two countries on a year-round basis."

Air Canada has year-round service to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) and Rome-Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) in Italy. The airline also serves Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) seasonally. As of 2022, Italy is the fourth most popular international travel destination for Canadians after the US, Mexico, and France. 

Canadians are showing a strong interest in visiting destinations in the Mediterranean. Spain and Portugal also appear among Canadians' top ten destinations for outbound travel. In response to this demand, Air Canada plans to increase the number of weekly flights on several routes.

In the Mediterranean, Air Canada will offer more weekly flights to these destinations:

• Athens International Airport (ATH)
• Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)
• Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) in Casablanca
• Lisbon Airport (LIS)
• Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE)

The flights to Athens, Barcelona, and Lisbon will fly from Toronto and Montreal, while the routes to Casablanca and Nice are exclusively from Montreal. Air Canada will also increase weekly service from Toronto to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), London Heathrow Airport (LHR), and Manchester Airport (MAN).

Finally, Air Canada will launch four seasonal routes earlier than usual to account for strong demand. The airline will start flights from Montreal to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Copenhagen on March 30 and May 2, respectively. Meanwhile, service from Toronto to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) and Brussels will launch on March 1 and May 1, respectively. The UK was the fifth most popular destination for Canadian tourists in 2022.

Canadian travelers should note that the entry requirements for European countries will change next year. Canadians historically could enter Europe visa-free and stay for up to three months. Starting in 2024, Canadians visiting Europe must register with the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) to obtain a visa waiver. Americans will also be required to register for an ETIAS starting next year. 

Once complete, Canadians can travel anywhere within the Schengen Area, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Romania for up to three months. With these new and expanded transatlantic services, 2024 will be a good year for Canadians to travel internationally.