Air Canada’s Charleston exit is part of a much bigger pullback

Air Canada isn’t just pulling back from Charleston.

The Canadian carrier is cutting four other U.S. routes next year amid weaker demand, as data shows a sharp decline in Canadian travel to destinations across the country — including some of South Carolina’s biggest tourism markets.

Those broader cancellations include service between Montreal and Seattle, Vancouver and Nashville, Vancouver and Raleigh-Durham, Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport and Boston.

The Canadian carrier confirmed it will discontinue Charleston’s seasonal route for summer 2027 for the same reasons, reversing earlier plans to resume the service after this year’s season was cut short.

An airline spokesperson said the cut was part of a regular review of the schedule to keep capacity “aligned with customer demand and travel patterns.” Similar statements were given to other Canadian and U.S. media outlets about the other routes.

Resilient passenger traffic and sharply higher fares have not been enough to offset soaring fuel costs this year, Reuters reported.

Political tensions between the U.S. and Canada have stalled Canadian travel to the U.S. over the last two years, and Charleston isn’t the only destination hit by fewer Canadian travelers.

Cellphone data compiled by researchers at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities shows that Canadian travel to Myrtle Beach took the steepest dive last year as fewer visitors from north of the border made trips to the United States.

Trips by Canadians to the Myrtle Beach area fell 65 percent year over year, which was the largest decline among the U.S. metro areas analyzed. Hilton Head took the second largest hit in South Carolina — a 55 percent drop.

Charleston saw a 48 percent drop in Canadian visitors year-over-year, while Greenville saw a 42 percent decrease, Columbia recorded a 30 percent difference and Spartanburg saw a 33 percent dip, according to the study.

Nationally, the cellphone data showed cross-border trips by Canadians to the U.S. fell about 42 percent in 2025 from the previous year. That decline was sharper than official Statistics Canada figures, which showed the number of Canadian residents returning from the U.S. fell roughly 25 percent over the same period. Part of the difference being taken into account with this study is multi-city travel within the U.S. and truck drivers carrying freight into the U.S.

The study found that drop was particularly pronounced in warm-weather coastal destinations — like South Carolina and Florida — that have traditionally attracted Canadians looking to escape the winter.

International tourists typically make up between 5 and 10 percent of the tourism market in South Carolina, according to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

Myrtle Beach in particular felt the impact of fewer international travelers in its overall yearly visitor numbers and hotel occupancy last year, while Charleston continued to report positive visitor growth year over year.

Charleston airport officials are optimistic about Air Canada returning in the future. In the meantime, the closest route to Toronto would be Breeze Airways’ new Charleston to Buffalo N.Y route — which is a 2.5-hour drive across the border.

Gary Edwards, a Charleston-area air service consultant, said that while the carrier cited business headwinds like fuel costs, he said the route returning is not off the table “when the time is right.” He suspects the Breeze Airways flight could absorb some of that demand from South Carolina travelers wanting to get north.

Daniel Guttentag, director of the college’s Office of Tourism Analysis, said that while the decline in Canadian visitors may have been a deciding factor in Air Canada’s decision, it doesn’t mean Charleston will see a huge loss in visitors.

“Eventually it will pass,” Guttentag said. “Even when the overall demand is down, those who want to get here can take a connecting flight. Charleston has been able to navigate macro challenges and weather storms well, unlike many destinations. We’re not immune to the impacts, but we continue to perform well.”