Flight Traffic to China and Japan Grows at Vancouver International Airport

With the addition of new flights this fall, Vancouver International Airport’s role as Canada’s gateway to Asia continues to grow. By the end of October, travellers will have their choice of 32 weekly flights to mainland China from Vancouver. This includes six new flights that are a result of a new agreement between Canada and China solidified during Prime Minister Carney’s visit to Beijing earlier this year.

The airport is also anticipating Air Canada’s new flight to Guangzhou, slated to begin in May, 2027, which it calls “a major new entry into the mainland China market,” as well as Beijing Capital Airlines’ return to YVR.

Related: ‘More Choice and More Convenience’: Canada Increases China Flights 

The airport announced that, once the added flights are in place by the end of October, YVR’s mainland China service will include 32 weekly flights:

• Air China: five flights a week, an increase of two.
• China Southern Airlines: four flights a week, an increase of two.
• Xiamen Airlines: three flights a week, an increase of one.
• Sichuan Airlines: two flights a week.
• China Eastern Airlines: two flights a week.
• Beijing Capital Airlines: one flight a week.
• Hainan Airlines: one flight a week.
• Air Canada Vancouver–Beijing: seven flights a week.
• Air Canada Vancouver–Shanghai: seven flights a week.

The number of flights to Japan is also on the rise. Air Canada will launch nonstop winter service between Vancouver and Sapporo on Dec. 17, with three flights a week through March 2027. The flag carrier’s seasonal service to Osaka is scheduled to resume on Feb. 2, 2027, about a month earlier than in 2025, giving travellers more flight options and time to explore Japan.  

Related: Pack it All for Japan with Air Canada

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