Cleveland travelers now have a new nonstop shot to Canada. Air Canada on Friday launched daily seasonal flights between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Montréal‑Trudeau, a route Mayor Justin M. Bibb says will strengthen Northeast Ohio’s tourism and business ties.
Route details
Air Canada lists the new Cleveland to Montréal service as flight AC8648, operating once a day on 76-seat Embraer E175 regional jets. According to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the flight leaves CLE at 2:45 p.m. and touches down in Montréal at 4:23 p.m. The return leg departs Montréal at 4:30 p.m. and is scheduled to arrive back in Cleveland at about 6:11 p.m.
Mayor and local reaction
Mayor Justin M. Bibb took to Facebook on Friday to thank the airline for its investment in Cleveland and to say the new nonstop will help boost the city’s long-term competitiveness. In his post, Mayor Justin M. Bibb also thanked Air Canada for giving local residents more ways to get in and out of town. Bryant L. Francis, director of port control at CLE, called the new flight "a great compliment" to Air Canada's existing Toronto service in the airport's announcement.
Seasonal service and connections
The route is not year-round. The carrier’s 2026 transborder schedule shows the Cleveland–Montréal link operating daily from May through October as a seasonal offering set up to feed Montréal’s hub for one-stop connections to Europe and North Africa, according to Air Canada. That structure can shave time off itineraries to cities such as Milan, Geneva and Casablanca via YUL.
How to book
Seats are already on sale, and flight calendars and fares are showing up on travel portals and on route-listing sites like FlightsFrom.com. Flyers can expect a single-class regional jet and afternoon departures that may fit weekend escapes as well as business trips that connect onward through Montréal.
Why it matters for Cleveland
Local coverage describes the new link as another piece of CLE's slowly expanding international lineup, which already includes Dublin and Toronto, and suggests the route could pull more visitors and event business into Northeast Ohio. Axios Cleveland flagged the flight as part of the airport's broader growth and modernization push.
City officials say they will be keeping an eye on whether the midday timing and modest 76-seat configuration generate enough steady demand to support the seasonal schedule. For now, the new nonstop gives Clevelanders a simpler way to reach Montréal and connect on to Europe for much of the summer and early fall.
