Air Canada has released its Accessibility Plan for the next three years and announced a new initiative to certify support animals.
The newly released plan details objectives, ongoing work and progress in improving accessibility at the airline across the focus areas of the Accessible Canada Act. Guided by research and consultations with experts, travellers and employees, the plan outlines 157 customer and employee accessibility initiatives. It’s the next step following the inaugural accessibility blueprint that was set out in 2023.
“Air Canada is committed to championing accessibility in the travel industry by designing our products, services and employment practices so more people can access the services and opportunities we offer,” says Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada. “We have made significant progress over the past three years, which has been possible in great part through establishing constructive relationships with national disability organizations, undertaking customer and employee focus groups and creating a robust accessibility advisory committee to pair expert insight with customer and employee experience.”
Highlights of Air Canada’s 2026–2029 Accessibility Plan include:
- Improving the experience for customers who use power wheelchairs, such as flight options and automations, complemented by digital tracking and notifications.
- Collaborating with our partners to drive change across the flight experience, including the Accessibility Advisory Committee, airports, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, aircraft and mobility aid manufacturers and other airlines.
- Improving the availability and quality of accessibility equipment, including passenger lifts, slings and aisle chairs.
- Improving boarding, deplaning and transfer support, including at smaller airports.
- Expanding mandatory, recurrent accessibility training grounded in lived experience.
- Improving recruitment, hiring and internships to increase employment of people with disabilities.
- Streamlining and automating workplace accommodation processes.
- Improving accessibility of office spaces, lounges and aircraft interiors.
- Embedding accessibility into digital systems, apps, websites and internal tools.
- Integrating accessibility requirements into procurement, vendors and supplier contracts.
“Accessibility isn’t just about ramps and washrooms. It’s about ensuring every person can participate fully in their community with true independence and freedom,” said Meghan Hines, Chair of Air Canada’s Accessibility Advisory Committee. “When we design for everyone, we build places where people don’t just get access, they get to belong.”
Certification for Service Dogs Introduced
Following the theme of ensuring the airline is accessible and inclusive for passengers of diverse needs, Air Canada has introduced “Cabin-Ready Canines.” The program gives customers whose service dogs were trained outside a recognized organization a new path to certification for travel. The partnership with K-9 Country Inn provides a solution for travellers who require service dog certification for air travel through independent assessment and evaluation.
“Service dogs play a vital role in customer independence, and we are so pleased to be launching this partnership with K-9 Country Inn,” said Kerianne Wilson, Director, Customer Accessibility at Air Canada. “Guided by feedback from the disability community, we have worked closely with K-9 Country Inn and their expert trainers who are also people with disabilities, to take a leadership position by building a practical solution to a complex accessibility challenge. Through our Cabin-Ready Canines program, we hope to demonstrate that feasible solutions are possible, enabling more customers with service dogs to travel with dignity and confidence.”
The airline outlines how the program will work:
- Air Canada’s Accessibility Services team will refer eligible customers to K-9 Country Inn for an independent assessment. Air Canada is not involved in the evaluation itself. There is a fee for this assessment which is managed by K-9 Country Inn.
- Once a dog passes the assessment evaluation, the customer receives an official K-9 Country Inn certification and photo ID card, which Air Canada’s agents can verify through K-9 Country Inn’s database.
- This verified record becomes proof of travel eligibility and is valid for two years, allowing the customer to follow Air Canada’s standard booking process.
- The program delivers meaningful impact through a fast-track process and secure database, providing reassurance for eligible customers.
- Importantly, the program is valid for both domestic and international travel, underscoring its scope and reach. Travel to and from the United States is not in scope as documentation requirements are governed by applicable U.S. legislation.
- Currently, K-9 Country Inn offers testing in English and French, in the Toronto and Montréal areas. They will monitor demand for other markets that are not currently served by government certification programs for owner-trained service dogs.
- The program is being aligned with similar processes used in British Columbia, Alberta and Nova Scotia. All dogs holding provincial certification, as well as those trained through ADI, IGDF or other approved organizations, are exempt from completing this assessment.
For more information about Air Canada’s Cabin-Ready Canines program, please visit this link.
To learn more about Air Canada’s Accessibility services and initiatives, please visit this link.
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