Air Canada’s Mobile App Wins the “Battle of the Airline Apps” at World Aviation Festival

Air Canada’s mobile app has been named Best Airline App at the 2026 World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, winning the Battle of the Airline Apps. 

A panel of industry judges compared three airline finalists and rated Air Canada’s app the best. The judges highlighted the app’s ability to bring together the full travel journey in a single experience, helping customers move seamlessly from booking to arrival with personalized, contextual information throughout their trip.

“Travel has always rewarded the people who know the system. We want every customer to travel like an expert, whether it’s their first flight or their hundredth,” said Carlos Faxas, Vice President, Digital Products, Air Canada. 

“That means an app that anticipates what you need next, like directions to your connecting gate the moment you land and brings you closer to the people behind your trip, like the Air Canada team member who loaded your bag. Our ambition is to build the best airline app in the world. This recognition validates our progress in that journey, and we continue to be guided by feedback from our customers and coworkers alike,” added Faxas.

In 2026, Air Canada introduced enhancements to the app. A redesigned home screen now adapts to each stage of the trip, putting check-in, boarding passes, flight status and bag tracking in front of customers when they need them, and guiding connecting customers at Air Canada’s hubs in Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver with directions to their next gate. 

A new low fare calendar and side-by-side fare comparison show fare rules and baggage allowances before customers book. Customers can also thank an Air Canada team member who made their day with the new Bravo button, building on Bag Buddy, which shows customers the name and photo of the person who loaded their bag.

With over 23 million downloads, the app builds on previous recognition of Air Canada’s digital experiences, including Webby Honoree recognition for the Air Canada app in 2022 and for aircanada.com in 2025.