Air Canada is set to reestablish direct flights from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to two major Chinese cities, marking a significant expansion of its service to Mainland China. Beginning January 15, 2025, Air Canada will resume its daily, non-stop route between Vancouver and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), departing from YVR at 11:40 am and arriving in Beijing the following day. Return flights from Beijing will leave at 6:55 pm, arriving in Vancouver at 2:05 pm.
Additionally, Air Canada will increase its Vancouver–Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) route from four flights per week to daily service starting December 7, 2024. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will serve both routes, facilitating reliable and comfortable transpacific journeys.
This strategic route relaunch aims to meet the post-pandemic resurgence in travel demand, particularly as North American and Asian markets reconnect. While these routes will boost YVR’s weekly flights to Mainland China to 18, the figure is still below pre-pandemic levels, when over 60 weekly flights from YVR served China in 2019.
Vancouver Airport Authority President and CEO Tamara Vrooman noted that pre-pandemic growth was fueled by high demand for services to Mainland China, but the airport has since diversified, launching 13 new non-stop routes to destinations like Dubai and Singapore. These additions, coupled with robust global travel demand, helped YVR welcome 24.9 million passengers in 2023, making it Canada’s second busiest airport. This year, YVR aims to approach its 2019 record of 26.38 million passengers, with 17.75 million travelers recorded in the first eight months alone.
