Airlines across North America are launching a significant expansion of flights to Latin America for the winter 2025 travel season. Carriers including Air Canada, WestJet, Frontier, and Porter have unveiled new routes connecting key cities in Canada and the United States with destinations in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia. This collective move addresses a surging demand for both leisure and business travel across the hemisphere, with services scheduled to begin in December 2025.
The expansion underscores the growing economic and tourism ties binding the Americas. Aviation authorities in several countries report a steady increase in passenger traffic, a trend that began after the global pandemic and shows no signs of slowing. Airlines are strategically positioning themselves to capture this market by establishing direct connections that bypass traditional hubs and reduce total travel time.
Air Canada Broadens South American Network
Air Canada is making one of the most substantial investments in the region. The carrier will introduce three new routes from its major Canadian hubs to South American capitals and coastal gems. A new direct flight from Toronto to Rio de Janeiro is set to commence on December 4, 2025. This seasonal service will operate three times per week, catering to travelers seeking Brazil’s summer weather during the northern hemisphere’s winter.
Following that launch, the airline will begin a Montreal to Santiago route on December 16. This connection provides a vital direct link between Canada and Chile’s primary economic center. Officials at Air Canada stated the route responds to growing commercial ties and tourist interest in Chile’s diverse landscapes, from the Atacama Desert to the Patagonian ice fields.
“These new routes to Rio de Janeiro and Santiago de Chile represent our commitment to connecting Canada with key destinations across Latin America,” an Air Canada executive said. [Translated from Spanish]
Just before the Christmas holiday, on December 20, Air Canada will open a weekly Toronto to Cartagena route. This service directly links Canada to the historic walled city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Travelers will gain convenient access to a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its colonial architecture and vibrant culture.
WestJet Targets Central American Connectivity
Not to be outdone, WestJet is reinforcing its network with new flights focused on Central America and Mexico. The Calgary-based carrier will inaugurate a four-times-weekly service from Calgary to Panama City on December 13, 2025. This route is particularly significant for business traffic, given Panama’s role as a regional hub for finance and logistics.
The new flight offers a direct connection that was previously unavailable, potentially boosting economic exchanges between Western Canada and a key Latin American economy. Panama has worked to position itself as a gateway for the entire region, and this direct air link supports that ambition.
WestJet will also launch a new seasonal route from Calgary to Guadalajara starting December 7. This provides a direct path for Canadians to Mexico’s second-largest city, a cultural center famed for its tequila and mariachi traditions. The route opens up the state of Jalisco to a new market of tourists who might have previously flown through busier airports in Mexico City or Cancun.
Frontier Airlines Expands Low Cost Options
The U.S. low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines is bringing its budget model to several new international routes. From its Dallas-Fort Worth focus city, Frontier will begin a new service to Cancun on December 10, 2025. This route intensifies competition on a popular leisure corridor, likely driving down fares for travelers headed to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
A second new route from Dallas-Fort Worth to Guatemala City is scheduled to start on December 20. This flight caters to a growing demand for Central American travel, serving both the tourism market and the substantial diaspora community. Adventure travelers seeking Guatemala’s volcanoes and ancient Mayan ruins now have a more affordable and direct option.
Frontier’s expansion strategy clearly targets markets with high seasonal demand and limited low-cost competition. Their new routes provide price-sensitive travelers with more choices, effectively democratizing air travel to a wider demographic. This approach has proven successful for the carrier in domestic markets and is now being applied internationally.
Porter Airlines Enters the Latin Market
Regional specialist Porter Airlines is making a strategic leap into longer-haul international flying with new routes to Latin America. While the airline has not released specific start dates, it has confirmed plans to begin service to destinations in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru from Canada in December 2025. This represents a major evolution for an airline traditionally known for its short-haul network using turboprop aircraft.
Porter’s move signals its confidence in the long-term growth of the Latin America travel market. By offering an alternative to the major national carriers, Porter hopes to attract business travelers and vacationers with its distinctive service model. The exact cities to be served will be announced in the coming months as the airline finalizes agreements with airport authorities.
The airline’s expansion is supported by its growing fleet of Embraer E195-E2 jets, which are ideally suited for medium-haul routes between Canada and the northern part of South America. This aircraft type offers an efficient operating cost, allowing Porter to compete effectively on price and service.
Economic Impact and Traveler Benefits
This wave of new air service promises substantial benefits for both travelers and the economies of the destination countries. Direct flights eliminate layovers, reducing door-to-door travel time significantly. For business professionals, this efficiency is a critical factor in planning trips and fostering international commerce.
Tourism-reliant nations stand to gain considerably from improved air access. Easier and often cheaper connections from North America can lead to an immediate increase in visitor numbers, supporting hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and local artisans. The new route to Cartagena, Colombia, for instance, is expected to bring a fresh wave of Canadian tourists to its historic streets.
Competition on these routes typically puts downward pressure on airfares over time. As multiple airlines serve the same city pairs, consumers gain more choice and pricing becomes more competitive. This dynamic makes international travel accessible to a broader segment of the population, not just those with large travel budgets.
The collective decision by multiple airlines to invest in Latin American routes simultaneously points to a shared optimism about the region’s economic resilience and its appeal as a winter sun destination. With these new services, the map of air travel across the Americas is being redrawn to be more connected and efficient than ever before.