Shannon Airport and Air Canada have announced a new non-stop service between Shannon and Toronto Pearson International Airport, launching in June 2027. The route will give travellers in the West of Ireland their only direct connection to Canada, operating three times weekly on Air Canada's new Airbus A321XLR.

Shannon Airport is located in County Clare, Ireland, and is operated by the Shannon Airport Group. The airport carried more than 2.3 million passengers in 2025, its highest total in 16 years, and invested over 20 million euros in infrastructure during the year as part of a wider 200 million euro decade-long investment programme.

Air Canada is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (ticker: AC). For full-year 2025, the airline reported revenue of 22.4 billion Canadian dollars (14.3 billion euros) and net income of 644 million Canadian dollars (412 million euros).

The service will run from 10 June to 3 October 2027, departing Shannon on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Through Air Canada's Toronto hub, passengers will connect onward to more than 150 destinations across Canada, the United States, Mexico and South America.

The A321XLR will feature Air Canada's Glowing Hearted cabin, including Signature Class seats with lie-flat beds alongside Economy Class, complimentary inflight meals and bar service, free Wi-Fi for Aeroplan members and next-generation entertainment screens. European passengers connecting onward to the United States via Toronto can also use US Customs and immigration preclearance, allowing them to arrive in the US as domestic passengers.

"When an airline the scale of Air Canada chooses Shannon, it sends a powerful signal about the strength of the West of Ireland market and its international potential. Securing this service has been a key priority for us and reflects years of work by our Aviation Development team," said Ray O'Driscoll, chief executive of the Shannon Airport Group.

"Demand for travel to Canada from Irish holidaymakers has been growing consistently over the past number of years, and this new Shannon-Toronto service opens a whole new world of transatlantic travel possibilities for travellers in the West and South of Ireland," said Blaithin O'Donnell of Air Canada Ireland.

For the sector, the route adds transatlantic capacity from a regional Irish airport at a time when demand for direct long-haul connectivity outside Dublin continues to grow.

Source: Flying in Ireland / Air Canada