Air Canada Elevates Airport Experience with New Café Openings in Montréal and Vancouver
- Joe Breitfeller
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
The second Air Canada Café at Vancouver’s domestic C concourse offers an expanded, 84-seat premium space, while the new 62-seat Air Canada Café at in Montréal-Trudeau’s U.S. departures pier showcases city’s iconic coffee culture and local flavours.
On Friday (April 10, 2026), Air Canada announced the opening of a new Air Canada Café at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), marking its second Café location for its Domestic customers, expanding its premium ground offering and continuing their investment in the guest experience. This follows the successful launch of a new Café at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in the Transborder sector.
In Friday’s announcement, Air Canada’s Managing Director, Products & Services, Jacqueline Harkness, said,
“With our first Vancouver Café, we celebrated the spirit of the city, and we’re thrilled to deepen that connection with a second and larger Café space that adds more of the features our customers love. The new Vancouver and Montréal Cafés are key parts of our commitment to keep investing in the customer journey. Each is designed to capture the unique spirit of its respective city, and we look forward to welcoming our customers to these new spaces.”
The new Café at Vancouver International Airport opened its doors today, and is located on the C concourse near gates 50 and 51, offering an expanded 84-seat, 4,489-square-foot space. Anchoring the premium experience is a full-service bar with specialty barista-made coffees, local craft beers on tap and a selection of local wines. This includes Narrative Red and a sparkling rosé from Air Canada’s long-standing partner Okanagan Crush Pad in addition to an impressive selection of international wines and wines and crafted cocktails. The menu includes seasonal and locally sourced ingredients that reflect Vancouver’s vibrant culinary landscape. Guests can enjoy favorites such as warm char siu pork bao buns, vegan curry bao, freshly made vegetarian Kimbap and sweet treats from the iconic Granville Island institution, Lee’s Donuts.
Designed by Vancouver-based firm SmartDesign Group, the café's design is rooted in the city’s deep connection to the land. A sculptural ceiling evokes the shoreline of Stanley Park, while lighting from Vancouver lighting studio A-N-D recalls the organic forms of river rocks. The space is enriched by art from local artist Renée Van Halm and anchored by a custom piece, 'Connections', by Kelly Cannell, a Coast Salish artist from the Musqueam Nation.
The Vancouver opening follows the March 24th debut of a new Air Canada Café in the U.S. departures pier at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, marking Air Canada’s second Café location at YUL. The 62-seat Montréal Café is inspired by the city’s renowned ‘third wave’ coffee culture and offers U.S.-bound travelers a premium pre-flight experience. The menu features iconic Montréal classics including smoked meat sandwiches, fresh bagels, and artisanal pastries like a delectable pistachio croissant alongside a vegan soup created by Sagamité Watso, a Québec-based, Indigenous-owned business. The beverage selection celebrates local Québec craftsmanship, with wines from L'Orpailleur Winery, gin from distillerie du Fjord and craft beers from Montreal's RJ Brasseur brewery.
These investments are part of Air Canada’s program to modernize their global lounge network, with further openings and renovations planned for 2026 and beyond. Eligible guests who can access the new and existing Air Canada Cafés at YVR and YUL include Air Canada customers travelling in Business Class, Aeroplan 50K, 75K and Super Elite Members, Star Alliance Gold members, and Aeroplan premium co-brand cardholders.
Source: Air Canada / GLOBE NEWSWIRE
