Canadian carrier’s new Vancouver-Sapporo service becomes shortest transpacific passenger route, beating all U.S. competitors on distance to the continent.
Air Canada will launch nonstop service between Vancouver and Sapporo on Dec. 17, establishing the shortest passenger route between North America and Asia at 3,726 nautical miles.
The new service marks the first nonstop connection between Sapporo and any North American city. No U.S. carrier currently operates to the northern Japanese city, according to aviation data from Cirium Diio.
The route replaces Air Canada’s Vancouver-Tokyo Narita service as the carrier’s shortest Asian link, cutting the distance by 8 percent. The Vancouver-Sapporo flight will cover 6,901 kilometers each way.
Air Canada will deploy Boeing 787-8 aircraft on the route, operating three weekly flights. The 255-seat Dreamliner is the airline’s smallest wide-body aircraft.
The December launch targets Hokkaido’s winter tourism season. Sapporo attracts visitors for skiing and snow-based activities during the winter months.
Flights will operate on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from Vancouver, departing at 1:25 p.m. and arriving at 3:35 p.m. the following day local time. Return flights from Sapporo leave at 7:55 p.m. on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, arriving in Vancouver at 11:10 a.m. the same day.
Record Asian Network Expansion
The Sapporo route represents Air Canada’s fourth destination in Japan, matching the carrier’s peak Japan network from 2018. The service brings Air Canada’s Asian footprint to a record 13 destinations, excluding Middle Eastern cities.
Air Canada will operate 19 routes to Asia in 2026, with 18 flown nonstop and one served on a one-stop basis through London Heathrow to Mumbai. The carrier’s average nonstop Asian route spans 5,428 nautical miles based on great circle distance.
The airline returned Beijing Capital to its network in 2025 after suspending service in 2020. Manila joined the network last year as Air Canada’s 12th Asian destination.
Air Canada has discontinued service to some Asian cities in recent years. The carrier last served Nagoya in 2018 and ended Taipei flights in 2020, according to Cirium data spanning operations since 2004.
Small Existing Market Raises Questions
The Vancouver-Sapporo market carried fewer than 7,000 passengers in the 12 months through November 2025, making it the largest Canadian market to Sapporo despite minimal traffic. Booking data shows substantially larger connecting traffic flows through other U.S. West Coast cities.
Los Angeles attracted 14,000 passengers traveling between Vancouver and Sapporo via connections. San Francisco recorded 9,000 connecting passengers, while Seattle handled 6,000.
No charter services have connected North America and Sapporo since the late 1990s, according to Aeroroutes data. Air Canada is the only Star Alliance member operating to Sapporo from North America.
The carrier ceased Vancouver-Nagoya service despite that city’s larger market size compared with Sapporo. Nagoya no longer receives nonstop service from Canada or the continental United States.
Key Takeaways
- Air Canada’s Vancouver-Sapporo route becomes the shortest passenger link between North America and Asia at 3,726 nautical miles, launching Dec. 17 with three weekly Boeing 787-8 flights.
- The service establishes Air Canada’s record 13th Asian destination and gives the carrier monopoly status as the only nonstop operator between Sapporo and North America.
- The existing Vancouver-Sapporo market carried fewer than 7,000 annual passengers, though December launch timing targets Hokkaido’s lucrative winter tourism season.
- Air Canada will operate 19 Asian routes in 2026, with the Sapporo service representing the carrier’s fourth Japanese destination since 2018.
