CAMP backs Competition Bureau warning on Air Canada-United arrangement, calls for more airline competition 

October 28, 2026 [Ottawa, ON] – The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (CAMP) supports the Competition Bureau’s finding that a proposed arrangement between Air Canada and United Airlines would likely weaken competition and raise fares on 10 Canada-U.S. routes. 

The proposed arrangement would allow the airlines to coordinate more closely on decisions like pricing on routes where that coordination has been restricted by consent agreement since 2012. The Bureau found that Air Canada and United already carry all nonstop passengers on five of the routes and have significant combined market shares on the others. It also found that entry barriers are high, leaving little chance that other airlines could offset the loss of competition. 

“The Bureau has made the stakes of this arrangement clear: on several of routes, travellers have few if any alternatives to Air Canada and United for direct travel. Giving the airlines more room to coordinate risks higher fares for passengers who already have limited choice,” said Keldon Bester, Executive Director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project. “It is our opinion that the Minister should not authorize an arrangement that would further weaken air travel competition, especially as fuel-related costs add pressure to ticket prices.” 

Protecting existing competition on air travel routes matters, but this remains a defensive rather than offensive play for more competition in Canada. CAMP has called for reforms that make it easier for regional and low-cost carriers to enter and expand, including changes to airport fees and market-access rules. 

“Canada needs more airlines competing for passengers,” Bester said. “That means lowering barriers to entry and growth of regional players, while making sure any expanded foreign access is reciprocal and maintains Canadian investment and regulatory oversight.”