The changes began when Air Canada's winter 2027 schedule replaced the Saturday morning flight with a Thursday Rouge service. Over the past two weeks, it has also routed the southbound leg through Montreal, turning the trip into an overnight journey. Some nonstop return flights still appear on Air Canada’s website, but I worry they too will eventually require connections.

Before COVID, three flights operated weekly from YYZ to ZIH—two by Air Canada and one by Sunwing. Ticket prices have more than doubled over the past five years. Unfortunately, all but the most devoted Zihua visitors now have a strong incentive to choose other Mexican destinations. ZIH needs more visitors with the spending power to support the local economy, and the added cost and inconvenience of travelling there will not help.

Let’s hope and encourage Porter Airlines to take over the route. It could be more profitable than competing with Air Canada and other carriers on the already well-served Puerto Vallarta and Cancun routes.