Air Canada Announces Return of PIT-Montreal Flights

Pittsburghers, it may be time to start practice speaking French. Because nonstop flights to Quebec are coming back.

On Tuesday, Air Canada announced it will resume daily, nonstop flights between Pittsburgh International Airport and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport in Canada on June 1.

Nonstop flights between PIT and Montreal will operate daily on a year-round basis. The flight will depart Montreal at 2:05 p.m. and arrive at PIT at 3:47 p.m. The return flight leaves PIT at 4:20 p.m. and arrives in Montreal at 5:51 p.m.

The resumption of Pittsburgh-Montreal service is part of a large network expansion by Air Canada as it will restore 41 new routes and return to 11 cities throughout North America this summer. Air Canada will bring its network total to 51 Canadian and 46 U.S. airports, boosting its North American capacity to 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

“Canadians are ready to travel, and we’re excited to be offering a very significant growth in our schedule this summer,” Mark Galardo, senior vice president, Network and Revenue Management at Air Canada, said in a press release.

“These changes will also grow and cement our position as the leading carrier of choice in the transborder market, with the most non-stop flying between Canada and the U.S. and as the foreign carrier with the most service to the U.S. Moreover, our revitalized North American network, designed to connect easily with our global network, gives customers by far the widest choice of routings and destinations of any Canadian carrier this summer,” he said.

In addition to resuming Montreal, Air Canada will add a third daily flight between PIT and Toronto on May 1. (Photo by Evan Dougherty)

Air Canada launched the Pittsburgh-Montreal route in May 2018, the airport’s second Canadian destination alongside existing service to Toronto. Service to both cities was suspended in early 2020 due to cross-border restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline resumed daily flights to Toronto from PIT last August, following the easing of border restrictions by the Canadian and U.S. governments. To coincide with the resumption of Montreal this summer, Air Canada will increase its service between PIT and Toronto with the addition of a third daily flight starting May 1.

Air Canada will also upgrade Pittsburgh-Montreal to the larger Embraer E175, which seats 76 passengers. The E175s will introduce WiFi, personal in-seat TVs and Air Canada’s business class product to the route. Business class will feature 12 first class-style seats at the front of the cabin in a 1-2 seating configuration, offering wider seats and additional legroom.

Pittsburgh-Montreal’s return will be part of an action-packed week for air service additions at PIT.

On June 2, budget carrier Sun Country Airlines will launch new service at PIT to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The carrier will operate nonstop flights to the Twin Cities on a seasonal basis during Sundays and Thursdays. It is the first time Sun Country will offer scheduled passenger flights from the Pittsburgh market.

The same day, Allegiant Air will resume seasonal, nonstop service from PIT to Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Va. that will operate twice a week. Breeze Airways will also introduce its brand new Airbus A220-300 on its Pittsburgh-Hartford route that will feature its “Nicest” first class cabin product.

In addition, British Airways will resume nonstop, year-round flights from Pittsburgh to London Heathrow Airport on June 3. The carrier will operate service four times a week on its new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. British Airways’ return will reconnect the Pittsburgh region to destinations in Europe and beyond.