Air Canada and Abra Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a broad, long-term strategic partnership aimed at expanding travel and connectivity between Canada, Latin America, and beyond. The agreement, announced on June 7, 2026, brings together Canada's largest airline and the Latin American air transport company that operates the Avianca and GOL brands.
Strategic Partnership Details
The proposed partnership would enable the airlines to expand their global reach, providing customers and shippers with greater connectivity across North, Central, and South America. Any final agreement remains subject to final documentation and regulatory approval.
Executive Insights
Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, and President of Cargo at Air Canada, stated: "Air Canada and Abra Group are building the foundations for an enhanced partnership that will further unlock the Americas. With Latin America acting as a fast-growing and strategic component of Air Canada's global presence, our customers to and from the region have long benefited from existing codeshare partnerships with Abra Group. Building from a highly complementary presence across the Americas, this Memorandum of Understanding between our world-class airlines creates a pathway to further bolster our partnership, improve the customer experience, and enhance global connectivity."
Angus Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer at Abra, commented: "This milestone agreement with Air Canada reinforces our ambition to redefine connectivity across the Americas and beyond. At Abra Group, we believe in building seamless, integrated networks that bring people, cultures, and economies closer together. Our complementary strengths with Air Canada expand travel options and create a more connected hemisphere, unlocking new opportunities for our customers, our partners, and the regions we serve."
Mary-Jane Lorette, Vice President, Revenue Management, Partnerships and International Affairs at Air Canada, added: "The Canada–South America market is accelerating, and we are investing to capture this momentum, expanding into key markets such as Lima, Santiago and Rio de Janeiro, with further growth ahead in Quito while building on our strong foundation with Avianca through Star Alliance and our long-standing collaboration with GOL to shape connectivity across the Americas and unlock greater value for our customers."
Partnership Highlights
Under the proposed strategic partnership, which is subject to negotiation of final documentation and regulatory approval, Air Canada and Abra Group would:
- Expand global reach by strengthening connectivity between Canada and key Latin America markets, with broader access to international markets;
- Deepen commercial integration through coordinated sales and distribution;
- Establish a Joint Business Agreement on select Canada-Latin America routes to enable deeper commercial integration;
- Expand codeshare cooperation across the Americas and beyond, including for travel between Latin America and other international markets via Canadian gateways;
- Enhance the customer experience to provide more seamless travel, including coordinated airport services, smoother connections, aligned baggage policies, and improved disruption management;
- Strengthen frequent flyer cooperation, delivering increased earning and redemption opportunities and improved recognition across both networks;
- Explore greater cargo collaboration, including opportunities to offer more seamless and efficient solutions across key markets in the Americas in support of growing trade flows.
The partnership is expected to deliver meaningful value to customers and partners, enhancing global connectivity and travel options across the hemisphere.
