Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge Updates — Where We’re At

Last September,  Air Canada announced a multi-year plan to transform its Maple Leaf Lounges across the network, aiming to deliver modern spaces with expanded amenities. While the upgrades promise a refreshed experience in the long run, travellers should also be aware of temporary closures and alternative lounge options during the renovation periods.

Nearly a year after Air Canada announced its Maple Leaf Lounge transformation plan, several projects have wrapped up while others have begun. Here’s a look at the lounges that have reopened, those that have debuted, and those currently closed for renovations.

Ottawa (YOW) Domestic/International Lounge Short-Term Closure

As of July 6, 2026, Air Canada has closed the Ottawa Maple Leaf Lounge for renovations. The lounge serves both domestic and international departures and should reopen in November 2026 after a roughly three-month closure. Hopefully, it’s not a case like Montreal, where a 3-month closure turns into an 8-month closure — but if it ends up having significant upgrades, it’s probably worth it.

In the meantime, travellers in Ottawa can use the Aspire Lounge, although you’ll need a DragonPass, Priority Pass, or eligible American Express card for access. The lounge also limits stays to three hours before departure. While the Montreal lounge closed for renovations, the domestic Aspire lounge allowed Aeroplan Elite members entry to compensate, but I haven’t seen such an announcement for Ottawa (yet?).

Montréal (YUL) Domestic Lounge — Reopened May 20, 2026

Beginning September 29, 2025, the Montréal Domestic Maple Leaf Lounge closed for renovations. The closure was estimated at about 3 months but ended up being significantly longer; the Montreal Domestic Maple Leaf Lounge reopened on May 20, 2026.

Maple Leaf Lounge at Montreal (YUL) has reopened

Notable updates include:

• More varied seating arrangements with a mix of dining tables, lounge chairs, and quiet corners
• Warmer, more modern aesthetic
• Locally inspired menu featuring rotisserie chicken with soft rolls, potatoes, and coleslaw

In the lead-up to the closure, an Air Canada Café™ opened in the domestic area. Since then, we’ve seen another Air Canada Café open in the transborder areas. The Air Canada Cafe offers both the option to sit and relax before flights and the option to grab items to go, catering to different pre-departure routines.

Before the lounge closed, we saw the opening of the Aspire | AMEX Lounge.

New – Quebec City Air Canada Cafe

On June 16, Air Canada opened yet another Air Canada Cafe in Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport, and I have to say Air Canada has been rapidly moving on these — which is great, because Cafes are my favourite lounge concept by Air Canada.

New Air Canada Cafe at Quebec City (YQB)

This new space has 97 seats and is modern, lively, with décor meant to celebrate Quebec City’s heritage and culture, following Air Canada’s new Glowing Hearted design philosophy. As you might have predicted, with a whopping 97 seats, this lounge is open in conjunction with Plaza Premium in a unique hybrid approach, meaning you can enter with any lounge pass that works for Plaza Premium, even when not flying Air Canada.

Some lounge highlights:

• Signature breakfast pancakes with Sigewigus pumpkin seed spread sourced from Mi’gmaq Nation of Gespeg Indigenous community
• Full-service bar with specialty coffee from Lavazza, handcrafted cocktails, featuring la distilleries du Fjord, and local brewery La Souche beers
• Productivity-style seating for working
• Power, including USB-C ports at every seat

New Air Canada Café Locations

Since last September, we’ve seen multiple new Air Canada Café openings. Not including the Quebec City one above:

• Vancouver (YVR) Domestic: Two Air Canada Cafes, one near Gate C47 and one near Gate C50
  • C50’s is larger and accommodates 84 guests; C47 accommodates 52
  • Food options are different at both lounges (only 30% overlap), but both are locally-inspired

• Montreal (YUL) Transborder: between gates C72 and C73
  • Smoked meat sandwiches, fresh bagels, artisanal pastries like pistachio croissants
  • 62 seats, varied seating between lounging sofas and desks for productivity

Air Canada Cafe YVR C50 hot food

Halifax (YHZ) Domestic Lounge Long-Term Closure

The Halifax Domestic Maple Leaf Lounge closed on October 1, 2025, with renovations scheduled to continue into early 2027. This extended closure reflects the scale of the upgrades planned for YHZ, which is expected to become a much larger, more modern facility once work is completed.

For travellers in Halifax, this means a significant period without access to the Maple Leaf Lounge. Air Canada has not announced a temporary alternative at YHZ, so passengers should plan accordingly when departing from Halifax.

Takeaway

Air Canada’s lounge transformation is well underway, with Montréal’s Domestic Maple Leaf Lounge now reopened, several new Air Canada Cafés launched across the country, and Ottawa joining Halifax as the next lounge to close temporarily for renovations.

While some travellers will need to plan around short-term disruptions, the renovated lounges and rapid expansion of the Air Canada Café concept point toward a more modern, flexible ground experience that better accommodates both travellers looking to relax and those simply grabbing a quality meal or coffee before boarding.