Air Canada carries 13.3 million passengers in third quarter as load factor climbs to 89.1%

Air Canada carried 13.338 million revenue passengers in the third quarter of 2026, 9.6% more than a year earlier, the airline reported on 29 October. Its passenger load factor rose 2.6 percentage points to 89.1%, while capacity measured in available seat miles grew 5.7%.

Seats dispatched rose 5.6% to 15.94 million, on 108,100 flights, up 5.2%. Over the first nine months of the year Air Canada carried 36.33 million passengers, up 6.5%, with a load factor of 87.7%. Its operating fleet stood at 358 aircraft at the end of September, compared with 366 a year earlier.

"Strong demand supported a 2.6-percentage-point year-over-year gain in passenger load factor to 89%," said John Di Bert, executive vice president and chief financial officer. The airline narrowed its full-year 2026 capacity guidance to an increase of about 2.75% on 2025, from a previous range of 2.25% to 3.25%, saying little variability remains in fourth-quarter capacity. It also identified conflicts in the Middle East and significant disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as factors affecting aircraft fuel supply and prices.

The results release does not describe specific operational disruptions in the quarter, nor any network changes for passengers. Fuller planes mean fewer spare seats on busy dates; travellers should follow Air Canada's own route and schedule announcements for any changes.