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By James Pearson
Updated Feb 13, 2026, 10:20 AM EST
Air Canada is the world’s 11th-largest airline for long-haul flights. When only Canada is considered, it accounts for 36% of the country’s long-haul activity. For obvious reasons, it is especially dominant in Montreal (45%) and Toronto (39%). Its share from other cities is lower than the average, including Vancouver (33%).
Air Canada’s 10 Longest Nonstop Flights In 2026
Caution is needed. This article only includes the carrier’s nonstop flights this year. Any one-stop, same-plane services, such as Toronto-Vancouver-Sydney and Toronto-London Heathrow-Mumbai, are excluded. That’s despite such flights taking up to 23h 35m.
The following list is based on the maximum block time, which is based on the airline’s schedule submission to OAG. Block time is measured as chocks-off-to-chocks-on. It is what’s shown on Air Canada’s website and in other booking places, along with schedules.
As always with this kind of topic, various other airport pairs came close to being included. For example, Air Canada’s offering from Vancouver to Hong Kong is timed at up to 14h 30m. That is long, but not long enough.
| Maximum Block Time* | Direction Of Nonstop Route With That Time | Air Canada’s Operations This Year* |
| 17h 05m | Delhi back to Toronto | Daily year round; 777-200LR (the 777-300ER is scheduled on a handful of occasions) |
| 16h 45m | Vancouver to Singapore | Four to five weekly year round; 787-9 |
| 16h 30m | Delhi back to Montreal | Three to five weekly winter only; 787-9 |
| 16h 25m | Vancouver to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi | Three weekly to daily year round; 787-9 |
| 16h 10m | Toronto to Shanghai Pudong | Will resume on June 3 (last served in 2020). Four weekly year round; 787-9 |
| 15h 55m | Vancouver to Sydney | Daily year round; 777-200LR (occasionally on the 787-9) |
| 15h 25m | Toronto to Seoul Incheon | Five weekly to daily year round; 787-9 |
| 15h 20m | Dubai back to Toronto | Daily year round; 787-9 |
| 14h 50m | Vancouver to Brisbane | Six weekly to daily year round; 787-9 |
| 14h 40m | Montreal to Seoul Incheon | Will resume on June 4 (previously served in 2024/2025). Three to four weekly summer only; 787-9 |
| * Even if once | * Known as of February 12, and subject to change |
Air Canada’s Delhi Operations
Canada’s flag carrier has had a checkered history of operating between Toronto and Delhi. For example, Airbus A340-operated nonstop flights existed until 2005. Between 2005 and 2007, it had a one-stop 767-operated service, flying Toronto-Zurich-Delhi. Air Canada had no flights between Canada’s most populous city and Delhi for several years thereafter.
Nonstop flights returned in 2015. The 787 initially operated, followed by the 777. The 777-300ER was occasionally deployed, but it was mainly about the 777-200LR. Before Russia’s war in Ukraine, the long route from India back to Canada’s busiest airport had a block time of up to 15h 20m.
Detouring to avoid Russian airspace has extended that to a whopping 17h 05m. It is Air Canada’s longest-ever nonstop scheduled service. This exceeds Delta Air Lines’ longest offering, but it is not quite as extreme as United Airlines’ longest service.
Air Canada’s interest in serving this route is not surprising. It is an unbelievably large local market. Booking data shows that 712,000 passengers flew between the two cities in 2025—nearly 2,000 people daily. Toronto-Delhi was the most-trafficked market between North America and India. Air Canada had under a fifth of the local market. A good chunk of its passengers connected in Toronto to reach other cities, especially Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and Halifax. Its first US city was Phoenix, in ninth place.
Air Canada To Dubai
Credit: Shutterstock
The carrier has served Dubai since 2015. It continues to do so because of its partnership with Emirates. Like Qatar Airways, Emirates has limited market access due to the UAE-Canadian air service agreement. As such, Air Canada effectively operates on its behalf. No wonder booking data shows that most passengers flying Canada’s largest airline connect to another flight in Dubai.
While Toronto-Dubai has been served throughout, Air Canada operated Vancouver-Dubai between 2023 and 2025. It is unclear whether that city pair will be served again. Separately, Etihad Airways will begin Abu Dhabi-Calgary flights later this year.
Original:https://simpleflying.com/up-to-17-hour-nonstop-flights-air-canadas-new-ultra-long-routes-in-2026/
