Air Canada is Canada's largest airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services in the Canadian market, Canada-U.S. transborder market, and the international market to and from Canada. In 2018, Air Canada, together with its Air Canada Express regional partners, carried nearly 51 million passengers, offering direct passenger service to nearly 220 destinations on six continents. In addition, Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance™, providing the world's most comprehensive air transportation network.

Air Canada's predecessor, Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), inaugurated its first flight on September 1, 1937. The 50-minute flight aboard a Lockheed L-10A carried two passengers and mail between Vancouver and Seattle. By 1964, TCA had grown to become Canada's national airline; it changed its name to Air Canada. The airline became fully privatized in 1989. Air Canada shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: AC), and effective July 29, 2016, its Class A variable voting shares and Class B voting shares began trading on OTCQX International Premier in the US under the single ticker symbol "ACDVF."

Air Canada is among the 20 largest airlines globally and employs 36,000 people worldwide. Its corporate headquarters are located in Montreal.