MONTRÉAL, ON–Aeroplan Points Matching Week in support of the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program began today and will run until October 12, 2025. The program operates on the generous donations from Aeroplan Members to provide relief for families across Canada whose children need to travel for medical care and treatment.
During Aeroplan Points Matching Week, Aeroplan and its partners, TD, CIBC, and American Express are joining forces to match Aeroplan Points donated by Aeroplan Members. For each point an Aeroplan Member donates, the respective partner will contribute one additional point, up to a maximum of 10 million points per partner. With Aeroplan also matching, the member’s donation will have triple the impact up to a maximum of 10 million points. The goal is to collectively raise the most amount of air travel support for children facing medical adversity.
Last year, Aeroplan partners TD and CIBC matched donations from Aeroplan Members, helping the Air Canada Foundation reach an incredible 47 million points, which were later donated to pediatric hospitals across Canada through the Hospital Transportation Program.
“Families come to us from every province in Canada, and for many, specialized care is simply not available in their home communities. The Hospital Transportation Program is a vital partner in making that care accessible. For more than 20 years, this program has lifted a huge financial burden for families who otherwise could not afford repeated round trips for their child’s treatment. Their support has made an immeasurable difference in the lives of our patients and their loved ones,” says Kelly Thorstad, Acting Administrator of Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada.
“The Aeroplan Points Matching Week continues to be one of the most impactful initiatives for the Hospital Transportation Program,” said Valérie Durand, spokesperson for the Air Canada Foundation. “This is an opportunity for everyone to make a lasting difference in the lives of so many families and children, and we are enormously grateful to Aeroplan Members and our partners for their generosity year after year.”
Hospital Transportation Program in Action
The program benefits children like Maddox. Shortly after birth, doctors discovered Maddox had multiple unexplained fractures from a rare genetic disorder that causes bones to be fragile and break easily. This marked the beginning of Maddox and her family’s journey toward answers, strength, and resilience.
Thanks to the Air Canada Foundation’s Hospital Transportation Program, Maddox and her family are able to travel from her hometown of Cape Breton to Montréal to receive the specialized care she needs from an internationally recognized team at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, known for treating rare and complex bone diseases.
The support received over the years has made it possible for Maddox to access critical surgeries and treatments that have made a meaningful difference in her day-to-day life. Today, her spirit shines brightly, and her story is one of hope, strength and the power of community.
About the Hospital Transportation Program
The annual Aeroplan Points Matching Week initiative is the largest annual fundraiser for the Air Canada Foundation’s Hospital Transportation Program. Here is how it helps children and their families access medical care:
Points donated go toward providing patients and a parent or guardian with flights with Air Canada and its partner airlines.
Created in 2003, the Hospital Transportation Program works with Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations (CCHF) supporting the following pediatric hospitals across Canada: BC Children’s Hospital (BC), Alberta Children’s Hospital (AB), Stollery Children’s Hospital (AB), Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (SK), HSC Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg (MB), Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (ON), McMaster Children’s Hospital (ON), CHEO (ON), The Hospital for Sick Children (ON), The Montreal Children’s Hospital (QC), CHU Sainte-Justine hospital (QC), CHU de Québec (QC), IWK Health (Maritime Provinces), and the Janeway Children’s Hospital (NL).
The program also supports Shriners Hospitals for Children (QC), and the David Foster Foundation.
In 2024, 129 children and their families were assisted with 379 flights via the Hospital Transportation Program.
In 2024, 47 million Aeroplan Points were raised during Aeroplan Points Matching week to benefit the Hospital Transportation Program.
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, which redistributes Aeroplan points to 15 pediatric hospitals across Canada, enabling children 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, which 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.
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. 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, where members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. 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.
