United, Air Canada Proposal Would Harm Competition on US-Canada Routes, Competition Bureau Says

12:35 PM EDT, 10/28/2026 (MT Newswires) -- United Airlines (UAL) and Air Canada's proposal to expand their cross-border arrangement would likely harm competition on 10 Canada-US routes, Competition Bureau Canada said Wednesday. The bureau said the proposed arrangement would eliminate an important source of competition between the airlines, which currently account for all nonstop passenger traffic on five of the 10 routes. The proposal would likely lead to higher prices on most affected routes, resulting in millions of dollars in consumer harm each year, the bureau said. It added that competition from other airlines would be unlikely to constrain the carriers because barriers to entry and expansion are high. The proposed arrangement would allow the airlines to expand coordination, including on pricing, on routes connecting Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver with several US cities. United Airlines and Air Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment from MT Newswires. Price: 104.24, Change: -0.47, Percent Change: -0.45