Air Canada Opens Halifax–Brussels Nonstop, Its Second European Route From Atlantic Canada
Air Canada launched seasonal three-times-weekly Halifax–Brussels nonstops on June 18, 2026, making Brussels the second international destination ever from Halifax after London Heathrow.
Air Canada launched its new Halifax–Brussels route on June 18, 2026, with flight AC946 departing Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) at 08:30 and arriving at Brussels Airport (BRU) at 07:50 the following day. The seasonal service operates three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays through September 5, 2026, on Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with both Premium and Economy cabins, as confirmed by PAX News, which covered the inaugural.
Brussels is Air Canada's second nonstop international destination from Halifax, joining the carrier's long-standing year-round London Heathrow service. Halifax Stanfield's official press release notes the route brings the airport to 15 nonstop European services for summer 2026, part of a 40% increase in transatlantic seat capacity year on year from YHZ. The outbound leg flies approximately six hours 20 minutes; the return takes seven hours 15 minutes.
Brussels Airport offers onward connections across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East through Air Canada's Star Alliance partner Brussels Airlines. For European travelers, the Halifax gateway provides access to Atlantic Canada, with Air Canada's Chief Commercial Officer citing the route's role in supporting tourism and economic growth across Nova Scotia.
The narrowbody 737 MAX 8 operation reflects the growing industry use of long-range narrowbodies to open thin long-haul markets from secondary Canadian cities economically. Air Canada announced the Halifax–Brussels route in November 2025 alongside Montreal–Nantes and Toronto–Ponta Delgada as part of its summer 2026 expansion toward North America's second-largest transatlantic network by destination count, per Aviation Week.
Sources
- https://www.aircanada.com/media/more-europe-more-travel-air-canada-further-expands-network-to-offer-north-americas-second-largest-transatlantic-network-by-destinations
- https://halifaxstanfield.ca/news-releases/air-canada-announces-new-non-stop-service-between-halifax-and-brussels
- https://www.paxnews.com/news/airline/air-canada-launches-seasonal-halifax-brussels-service
- https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/50-new-routes-launching-june-2026
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