Air India–Air Canada Codeshare Returns With Big Benefits

Air India and Air Canada resume their codeshare partnership from December 2, 2025, unlocking smoother India–Canada travel with unified tickets, expanded routes, loyalty benefits, and seamless connections via Vancouver, London Heathrow, and Delhi.

International travel between India and Canada is about to become significantly easier. From December 2, 2025, Air India (AI) and Air Canada (AC) will officially reinstate their codeshare partnership, enabling smoother connections, simplified booking, and expanded access across both countries.

With more than two million passengers travelling annually between the two nations—students, families, business travellers, VFR traffic, and tourists—this renewed collaboration marks a strategic move to improve network access and elevate long-haul travel experience.

Expanded Connectivity & Easier Itinerary Planning

Air India: More Access Across Canada

Under the renewed codeshare, Air India will place its “AI” code on selected Air Canada-operated routes. Travellers flying from Vancouver can now connect seamlessly to:

• Calgary

• Edmonton

• Winnipeg

• Montréal

• Halifax

In addition, London Heathrow–Vancouver and London Heathrow–Calgary routes operated by Air Canada will also carry the AI flight code.

This gives Indian travellers greater reach beyond Vancouver and Toronto, unlocking deeper Canadian cities.

Air Canada: Elevated Reach Across India

Air Canada customers will gain better access to India’s major cities through Air India’s domestic network. Via Delhi, passengers can connect to:

• Amritsar

• Ahmedabad

• Mumbai

• Hyderabad

• Kochi

Through London Heathrow, Air Canada-marketed flights will also connect onward to Delhi and Mumbai, giving travellers multiple route options.

Together, these enhancements make India–Canada travel more flexible, especially for those designing multi-city itineraries.

What This Means for Passengers

1. Single-Ticket Convenience

Passengers can now book an end-to-end itinerary—such as Kochi to Halifax—on one ticket.
This eliminates:

• Separate PNRs

• Duplicate check-ins

• Rechecking baggage

• Risk of misaligned connections

For long-haul travellers, single-ticket itineraries offer enormous peace of mind.

2. Unified Baggage Handling

Through-tagged baggage ensures luggage moves across both carriers without passenger intervention.
This benefit is crucial for students, family groups, and business travellers who frequently carry large bags.

3. Integrated Loyalty Rewards

Members of Air India’s Flying Returns (Maharaja Club) and Air Canada’s loyalty programme can earn and redeem points across the network.

Star Alliance Gold members continue to enjoy:

• Priority check-in

• Additional baggage allowance

• Priority boarding

• Lounge access on eligible itineraries

This creates a consistent premium experience across both airlines.

4. Flexible Routing Options

The partnership introduces greater freedom for travellers to choose transits through:

• Vancouver

• London Heathrow

• Delhi
  
  

For corporates, students, and VFR segments, this means:

• Better connection timings

• Multi-city route planning

• More stopover opportunities

• Faster access to secondary cities
  
  

Service Enhancements Travellers Can Expect

Industry practices suggest the following upgrades will follow as the codeshare matures:

✔ Priority airport services

For frequent flyers, business travellers, and elite status holders.

✔ Lounge access across both airlines

Maintaining consistent premium service for Star Alliance elites.

✔ Improved multi-city booking flows

More intuitive booking pathways for Canada–India–domestic India combinations.

✔ Better handling during delays or disruptions

Codeshare itineraries offer more protection on missed connections compared to separate tickets.

✔ Integrated customer support

Unified itinerary support reduces booking confusion and enhances service recovery.

Why This Matters for the Travel & Aviation Industry

For travel journalists, aviation analysts, and B2B travel businesses, this partnership signals more than wider route distribution—it reflects a strategic rebuilding of the India–Canada travel corridor after a period of diplomatic and operational challenges.

Key benefits include:

1. Boost to Multi-City Tourism

Travellers can now fly into Vancouver, explore Western Canada, and continue to secondary cities without fragmented bookings.

2. Stronger Inbound Potential for India

Canadian tourists gain easier access to secondary Indian destinations such as Kochi, Amritsar, and Ahmedabad.

3. Higher Revenue Opportunities for Travel Agents

B2B professionals can now confidently market:

• Multi-city Canada itineraries

• Student travel packages

• Business delegation routing

• VFR journeys with improved domestic add-ons
  
  

4. Better Travel Experience for Students

With Canada remaining a top study-abroad market for Indians, the unified baggage, smoother routing, and simplified transit will significantly benefit student travellers.

Looking Forward: What to Watch

Industry observers highlight a few areas to monitor:

✔ Regulatory approvals

Final availability of codeshare routes will be rolled out gradually.

✔ Operational coordination

To achieve true seamlessness, schedule alignment and efficient transfer handling will be critical.

✔ Joint marketing and route promotions

Expect airline campaigns, loyalty promotions, and multi-city packages.

✔ Possible future expansions

This partnership may evolve further as both carriers expand long-haul fleets and hub connectivity.

Conclusion: A Significant Boost for India–Canada Air Travel

The reinstated codeshare between Air India and Air Canada isn’t simply a route expansion—it’s a strategic upgrade in travel comfort, choice, and efficiency for millions of passengers.

For B2B travel agents and tour planners, this partnership creates major opportunities to build better itineraries, improve client satisfaction, and upsell multi-city packages with confidence.

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