For those who want snow and Japanese culture to match, Air Canada is lining up a new service between Vancouver and Sapporo, Japan.
Flights will operate from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to Sapporo’s New Chitose Hokkaido Airport (CTS), making it the only carrier to serve Sapporo and North America.
Planned operations are as follows:
AC55 DEPART YVR 13:25 ARRIVE CTS 13:25 Operates Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays AC54 DEPART CTS 19:55 ARRIVE YVR 10:00 Operates Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays Operates from Vancouver between 17th December 2026 and 25th March 2027 Operates from Sapporo Chitose between 18th Deceber 2026 and 26th March 2027 Operates three times a week Booked Equipment: Air Canada Three-Class Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Air Canada will operate a three-class Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route with a choice of Signature Class, Premium Economy and Economy class seating.
The airline’s new winter service to Sapporo complements existing year-round services to Tokyo-Narita and Tokyo-Haneda, and summer seasonal services to Osaka-Kansai. On Air Canada’s international flights, ski bags and equipment are included as part of regular checked bag allowances (except on Basic Economy Fares).
Air Canada is proud to feature Michelin-starred Chef Masaki Hashimoto as part of its culinary panel. Chef Hashimoto’s creations are offered as part of Air Canada’s Signature Class dining menu on all Air Canada flights between Canada and Japan.
Seats are open for booking from Air Canada and its usual distribution channels.
In Quotes
Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, and President, Cargo.
“Air Canada’s global network is further strengthened by the addition of Sapporo, a premier winter leisure destination in Japan’s northern Hokkaido prefecture. With this new service, Air Canada is reinforcing its Vancouver hub as North America’s second largest Pacific gateway, building on strong premium leisure and ongoing travel demand to Japan, while providing yet another sought-after destination for our customers and Aeroplan Members. Whether people are avid snow enthusiasts, cultural or culinary connoisseurs, or global explorers, Air Canada’s new service will make discovering Japan’s vibrant northern regions more convenient than ever,”
“Leveraging Vancouver’s geographic proximity, Air Canada’s new flights provide the fastest way to reach Sapporo, saving more than two hours travel time each way. For our customers in Hokkaido, Air Canada’s new flights provide the only non-stop and the fastest way to reach the North American continent, with connections to over 45 destinations across Canada, the United States and Mexico at our YVR hub,”
That’s very different.
Air Canada is striking out both on the demand of passengers who want to experience culture, whilst honing in on experiences – for those who want to experience the snow of Hokkaido, the Sapporo Ice festival and all the other local experiences the north of Japan has to offer, with one of the shortest transpacific hops there is out there.
Especially considering how far the dollar will go against the yen at the moment.
It’s also catering to demand from its passengers, which is good to see (remember, airlines can see what you search and book – and thus build datasets and business cases for routes).
Whilst some might prefer the winter sun, others will enjoy the winter thrills… and I suspect this route will see buoyant traffic through the season.
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