Airline says it’s cutting international flight from Sacramento ahead of schedule
Air Canada is suspending a nonstop route between Sacramento International Airport and a major Canadian city, with the change coming soon after the airline said it was dealing with skyrocketing jet fuel costs.
The nonstop route between Sacramento and Toronto Pearson International Airport, a summer seasonal flight, will end “earlier than previously planned this year,” an Air Canada spokesperson said Monday.
The route, which debuted in summer 2023, normally runs between June and early to mid-October, Sacramento International Airport spokesperson Scott Johnston said. The last nonstop flight will leave Sacramento at 7:55 a.m. Aug. 1, according to the spokesperson and the airline’s website.
The route is one of two nonstop flights offered by Air Canada from the capital region — flights between Sacramento and Vancouver will continue.
Other shuttered routes include Vancouver to Raleigh, North Carolina; Toronto to Charleston, South Carolina; and Montreal to Austin. Those flights will also end earlier than planned this year, in July and September, respectively. All four routes are set to resume in summer 2027, the Air Canada spokesperson said.
All affected customers will be contacted with alternate travel options and some will be given the option for a full refund.
The Toronto route is the second nonstop flight from Sacramento that has been cut this year. In April, Delta Air Lines announced that the direct route between Sacramento and Detroit Metropolitan Airport would be suspended from June 1 until March 2027. A spokesperson from the Atlanta-based airline did not tie the decision to any specific cost, saying the route elimination was a part of regular adjustments.
Representatives from Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines reported no changes to their operations at SMF. United Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.
An Alaska Airlines spokesperson said the company had made “selected adjustments” to its network but they “know of no specifics to the SMF market.” The spokesperson attributed changes to rising jet fuel costs, adding that in the second quarter this year, Alaska will spend an additional $600 million on fuel than expected.
Air Canada said in an April news release that jet fuel costs have influenced the airline’s routine route analysis, and adjustments were made due to fuel prices, which the release said had “doubled since the start of the Iran conflict.” In that same release, the airline announced it was cancelling six routes, including three that crossed between Canada and the United States.
In addition to route cancellations or suspensions, airlines are adjusting to growing jet fuel costs by also increasing baggage fees. Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United have increased fees, many by about $10, according to The New York Times.
In the midst of cuts, the Sacramento International airport announced an additional route to Hawaii starting in November. Southwest Airlines currently offers daily a daily flight from Sacramento to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu and a daily return route. The new flight and return flight will both be offered daily and later in the day.
This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 11:07 AM.
