ZIPAIR to launch budget nonstop flights between Toronto and Tokyo in 2027

Toronto travellers will soon have a cheaper way to reach Japan. Toronto Pearson has announced that ZIPAIR, the Japanese low-cost carrier owned by Japan Airlines, will begin year-round nonstop service between Toronto and Tokyo Narita in 2027, flying three times a week. It will be the airline's second Canadian route after Vancouver, where it started flying to Tokyo in 2024.

ZIPAIR is a relative newcomer — founded in 2018 and operating since 2022 — but it has grown quickly, running Boeing 787-8s on routes across Asia and North America, including Seoul, Bangkok, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and Orlando. The model is classic low-cost: base fares stay low and you pay extra for things like checked bags and meals. Two carry-on pieces totalling up to 7 kg are included, and the airline throws in free internet access, so you can stream entertainment and order snacks, drinks and duty-free items from your own device mid-flight.

Until now, Air Canada has been the only airline flying nonstop between Toronto and Tokyo, and its fares swing sharply with the seasons — late March to early April is the priciest window because it coincides with cherry blossom season. ZIPAIR's arrival should shake up that pricing. A rough comparison on the Vancouver route shows what's possible: round trips for March 1 to 8 currently run about $1,052 on ZIPAIR versus roughly $1,661 on Air Canada for the same dates.

There's no exact launch date or on-sale date yet — Pearson is simply telling travellers to stay tuned — but if you've been pricing out a spring trip to see the sakura, or a week eating your way through Shinjuku, it may be worth waiting before booking. Once tickets go live, expect the cheapest seats to sell fastest, especially around the cherry blossom window when demand from across eastern Canada will funnel onto this single three-times-weekly flight.

Narita sits about 60 kilometres east of central Tokyo, so factor in the train or airport limousine bus time when planning your first night — though the fare savings should more than cover it for most budgets.