SAINT JOHN — Air Canada officially notified the Saint John Airport Authority on Friday, August 14, 2026, that it will permanently shutter its regional flight operations hub at YSJ effective October 31, 2026. The airline stated that the decision follows a strategic review of its maritime network and recent passenger volume data which failed to meet sustainable recovery targets for the terminal.
Corporate executives confirmed that the suspension impacts all daily direct connections between Saint John and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. Impacted passengers holding confirmed tickets for travel dates past the October deadline will receive automated notifications and options for full ticket refunds or rebooking through secondary regional airport gateways such as Moncton or Fredericton.
The Saint John Airport Authority expressed immediate concern regarding the loss of connectivity for local business and leisure travelers. CEO Sandy Ross stated that the airport board is now actively engaged in high-level discussions with other domestic carriers to fill the service void left by the departure. Regional economic development officials are currently calculating the long-term impact on local cargo and business travel sectors.
Why did Air Canada choose to close the Saint John regional hub?
Air Canada chose to close its Saint John hub because passenger traffic levels on the Montreal-Saint John corridor remained significantly below the airline's long-term profitability threshold, leading the carrier to reallocate its remaining fleet resources toward more high-demand domestic routes across the national maritime network.
Air Canada will operate its final scheduled departure from Saint John International Airport on October 31, 2026.