Air Transat will introduce a seasonal service between Birmingham Airport (BHX) and Toronto in June 2027, giving the Midlands its first direct connection to the Canadian city from the airport under the announcement. The route will operate twice a week until late October, adding a transatlantic link to Air Transat’s existing UK services from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow.
The inaugural flight is scheduled to depart Birmingham on Wednesday 23 June 2027. Airbus A321LR aircraft will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the final flight planned for Saturday 23 October 2027. The service has been announced as seasonal rather than year-round.
New link to Toronto
| Carrier | Origin | Destination | Start date | Frequency | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Transat | Birmingham Airport (BHX) | Toronto | 23 June 2027 | Twice weekly | Airbus A321LR |
Sebastian Ponce, chief revenue officer at Transat, said the service would provide travellers from the Midlands with a non-stop option while connecting them onwards to other Canadian destinations through Air Transat’s partnership with Porter Airlines.
“Travellers across the Midlands will benefit from a convenient non-stop flight to Toronto, together with onward connections to major destinations across Canada through our partnership with Porter Airlines.”
Air Transat said Porter Airlines connections from Toronto would include Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton. The partnership therefore gives the Birmingham service reach beyond the initial Toronto market, although the announced operating schedule covers the direct link only.
Demand between the Midlands and Canada
Birmingham Airport said around 10,000 passengers travelled indirectly between Birmingham and Toronto in 2025. It attributed demand to several types of travel between the UK and Canada:
- close family ties between the two countries;
- student mobility and working-holiday programmes; and
- corporate transfers.
The airport also cited approximately 81,500 Canadian-born residents in the UK, including nearly 67,000 in England. Those figures were presented as part of the case for adding a direct route from the Midlands, alongside the existing indirect passenger flows recorded in 2025.
Matt Hazelwood, chief commercial officer at Birmingham Airport, said Toronto was a destination with demand across the region and highlighted the availability of a direct service from the local airport. Air Transat’s UK network will consequently comprise Birmingham, Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow, with the new Birmingham operation focused on the 2027 summer season.
