Canada’s second-largest airport will get a brand-new direct flight route to a major destination in northern Japan.
Air Canada announced today it will start a new direct, non-stop service between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Chitose Hokkaido Airport (CTS) in Sapporo, located on the island of Hokkaido.
No other airline at YVR currently serves this route, and this will be the only direct, non-stop flight between Hokkaido and North America.
The new service will operate on a three-month winter seasonal basis and will launch on Dec. 17, 2026, through the end of March 2027 — just in time for the Hokkaido prefecture’s renowned wintertime recreational activities and events, including the Sapporo Snow Festival. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft will be used to fly this route.
Flights will depart YVR on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 1:25 p.m. and arrive at 3:35 p.m. the next day. For return trips, flights will leave CTS on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 7:55 p.m. and land at 11:10 p.m. on the same day. Each way has a travel time of roughly nine to 10 hours.
“Air Canada’s global network is further strengthened by the addition of Sapporo, a premier winter leisure destination in Japan’s northern Hokkaido prefecture. With this new service, Air Canada is reinforcing its Vancouver hub as North America’s second largest Pacific gateway, building on strong premium leisure and ongoing travel demand to Japan,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president, chief commercial officer, and president for cargo, in a statement.
Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO of Vancouver Airport Authority, added, “As Canada’s Pacific gateway to Asia, YVR is ready to welcome Air Canada’s new direct service to Sapporo, Japan. This new route builds on YVR’s strategy as a key Trans-Pacific hub, further strengthening the deep trade, economic, and cultural ties between Canada and Japan, and providing additional travel and cargo options to both countries and beyond.”
Sapporo Snow Festival. (Neptunestock/Shutterstock)
Air Canada’s new Sapporo route is in addition to its existing year-round services linking YVR to Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), as well as the summer seasonal service linking YVR to Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX).
Additionally, according to Aeroroutes, All Nippon Airways is expected to relaunch its direct, non-stop flight route between YVR and NRT on a seasonal basis in Summer 2026, flying daily. This is in addition to the airline’s existing year-round frequent service between YVR and HND.
YVR’s other existing direct, non-stop flight routes to Japan entail Japan Airlines and Zipair’s NRT services, which also fly frequently and on a year-round basis.
New and improved services to Japan have recently been driven by not only the appeal of the destinations, but also the favourable exchange rate and overall Trans-Pacific flight demand, with passengers connecting to other flights in Asia to reach their final destination.
YVR Airport new flights 2024-2026
March 13, 2024: Tokyo, Japan (Narita; NRT) — Zipair, 5x weekly
April 3, 2024: Singapore (SIN) — Air Canada, 4x weekly
April 11, 2024: Montreal, Quebec (YUL) — Porter Airlines, daily
April 28, 2024: Detroit, Michigan (DTW) — WestJet, daily (seasonal)
June 5, 2024: Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT) — American Airlines, daily (seasonal)
Jan. 18, 2025: Hong Kong (HKG) — Hong Kong Airlines, 2x weekly
April 2, 2025: Manila, Philippines (MNL) — Air Canada, 4x weekly
May 1, 2025: Nashville, Tennessee (BNA) — Air Canada, 4x weekly (seasonal)
June 3, 2025: Tampa, Florida (TPA) — Air Canada, 2x weekly
June 4, 2025: Raleigh, North Carolina (RDU) — Air Canada, 3x weekly (seasonal)
May 11, 2025: Austin, Texas (AUS) — WestJet, 3x weekly (seasonal)
July 1, 2025: Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ) — WestJet, 4x weekly (seasonal)
Oct. 27, 2025: Mexico City, Mexico (MEX) — Flair Airlines, 3x weekly
Dec. 12, 2025: Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) — WestJet, daily (seasonal)
Feb. 2, 2026: Phoenix, Arizona (PHX) — Porter Airlines, daily (seasonal)
Dec. 17, 2026: Sapporo, Japan (CTS) — Air Canada, 3x weekly (seasonal)
AloJapan.com