Aeroplan Members Can Multiply Their Impact for Children Travelling for Essential Medical Care During Points Matching Week

• Eligible Aeroplan point donations to the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program from October 5–11, 2026, will be multiplied through matching contributions from Aeroplan and its partners
• The Hospital Transportation Program provides transportation for children who require air travel for medical care and treatment not available within their community
  
  

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today marks the start of the Aeroplan Points Matching Week in support of the Air Canada Foundation’s Hospital Transportation Program. Members can make donations that will be matched through the support of Aeroplan’s partners until Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. The program relies on the generous donations from Aeroplan Members to provide relief for families across Canada whose children need to travel for medical care and treatment.

“Each year, Aeroplan Points Matching Week shows the remarkable difference we can make when our members and partners come together in support of children and families who need to travel for essential medical care,” said Éric Lauzon, Director, Community Relations & Partnerships at Air Canada. “We are deeply grateful for the continued generosity of Aeroplan Members and our participating partners, whose support helps ease the journey for families during some of life’s most challenging moments.”

Aeroplan has expanded the group of partners that will participate in this year’s Points Matching Week. Returning partners include TD, CIBC and American Express, while new partners include Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty. Thanks to their generosity, each point donated can have up to eight times the impact, supporting even more children who need to travel for essential medical care. For full details of how points will be matched, please see here.

In 2025, more than 35 million points were donated to the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program’s partners, supporting nearly 500 families through 605 trips.

From Patient to National Program Ambassador: Sylas’s Story

At age 13, what first appeared to be a biking accident became a life-threatening medical emergency. The impact forced part of Sylas’s jaw into his skull and caused internal bleeding. He was urgently transferred to BC Children’s Hospital, where a specialized team provided the critical care he needed.

Thanks to the Air Canada Foundation’s Hospital Transportation Program, Sylas and his family travelled between Cranbrook and Vancouver for surgeries, scans and ongoing treatment. By covering the cost of travel, the program removed a significant financial and logistical burden, allowing his family to focus on his recovery. 

“These flights were such a godsend for us. Everything was covered, and it was all done with so much softness and care. It not only eased the financial burden, but it also eased my heart. It meant I could show up for Sylas in every way he needed, without wondering how we were going to manage each trip,” said Jen, Sylas’s mom.

Today, Sylas is 15 and thriving. He is starting Grade 11, works at a local golf course in Kimberley, B.C., and enjoys golfing, mountain biking, camping and spending time on the water. As the 2026 Air Canada Foundation National Hospital Transportation Program Ambassador, Sylas represents the hundreds of children and families who rely on the program to access essential medical treatment far from home.

About the Hospital Transportation Program

For more than 20 years, the Air Canada Foundation’s Hospital Transportation Program has helped children and youth access essential medical care away from home. Powered by Aeroplan point donations and delivered in partnership with 17 partners, including all pediatric hospitals across Canada, the program helps families reach specialized treatment that isn’t available in their community.  

When a child needs medical care far from home, travel can add significant financial, emotional and logistical challenges to an already-difficult time. By reducing these barriers, the program helps families focus on what matters most: their child’s health and well-being. Each year, millions of donated Aeroplan points help connect families to life-changing and, in many cases, life-saving care, while providing peace of mind when it matters most. 

Together with our partners and the generosity of Aeroplan Members, we’re helping ensure that distance is never a barrier to the care that children need. 

About the Air Canada Foundation

The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers both financial and in-kind support to Canadian-registered charities. Core programs include the Hospital Transportation Program (HTP), which redistributes Aeroplan points to partners of the Air Canada Foundation HTP, including 15 pediatric hospitals across the country, Hope Air and the David Foster Foundation. All donated points enable sick children to access the medical care they need away from home. The Air Canada Foundation, in collaboration with the airline, also engages directly in fundraising activities, such as the Every Bit Counts program that encourages customers to donate loose change of all denominations on board flights or through collection containers available in Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises. For more information about the Air Canada Foundation, please read the 2025 Impact Report.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Headquartered in Montréal, Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is Canada’s premier travel loyalty program, with more than 10 million members worldwide. Members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of more than 50 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers a selection of vacation and Flight & Hotel packages, tours, cruises, car rentals and experiences. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada’s climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see Air Canada’s TCFD disclosure. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX (AC).

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