TORONTO, ON | May 1, 2026 — On May 6, Hope Air marks 40 years of helping Canadians who must travel long distances to reach hospitals for vital medical treatment. As a national charity, Hope Air provides travel support to those in financial need, ensuring that distance and cost are never barriers to treatment.
For many Canadians living with serious illness, accessing healthcare is not as simple as booking an appointment. Specialized medical treatments are often located far from home. For people in rural, remote and underserved communities, the cost and complexity of travel can make healthcare difficult or impossible to reach.
Founded in 1986, Hope Air has arranged more than
277,000 medical travel supports for patients and their families across more than
700 communities in Canada.
“Universal healthcare only works if people can actually get to care,” said Mark Rubinstein, Chief Hope Officer of Hope Air. “For 40 years, we’ve been removing the financial and travel barriers that stand in the way of essential appointments and treatments. We help patients and their families focus on what really matters, so they don’t face impossible tradeoffs like paying rent or purchasing flights.”
Hope Air’s operations are funded through the generous support of government partners, corporate, foundation and individual donors. Working with partners like WestJet, Porter Airlines and Uber Canada, Hope Air arranges flights, accommodations, meals and ground transportation for patients.
“When my son Amir was diagnosed with an aggressive eye cancer, our world changed overnight. We had no choice but to travel from St. John’s to Toronto for life-saving treatment,” said Chantal, Amir’s mother. “Caring for a child with cancer is overwhelming enough on its own—without Hope Air, the cost of constant travel would have forced us to leave our home permanently. Their support lifted an enormous weight and allowed me to be fully present for my son when he needed me most.”
In 2025 alone, Hope Air provided:
- 10,288 medical trips for patients and caregivers
- A record 14,433 airline flights
- 38,392 total travel arrangements, including flights, accommodations, meals and ground transportation
Helping Patients and Strengthening the Healthcare System Hope Air supports patients who face significant financial, geographic and logistical barriers to care. Many are low-income seniors, families with children, disabled and new Canadians living in rural or underserved communities.
By getting patients to care earlier, Hope Air is reducing emergency room visits and hospital admissions in local communities, easing pressure on an already strained healthcare system.
According to Hope Air’s 2025 Patient Impact Report*, providing travel support leads to a measurable increase in both access to care and patient outcomes:
- Missed or delayed appointments dropped from 54% to 12%—a 77% reduction
- Without help from Hope Air, nearly two-thirds (61.5%) of patients said they would delay or cancel care if travel costs exceeded $500; Three out of four (75.7%) would do so at $1,000
- Local hospital admissions decreased by 36%
- Emergency room visits fell by 27%
- 92.2% of patients reported better health outcomes because of Hope Air
- 88.6% said managing their condition would have been significantly harder without support
40 Years of Impact. 40 Years of Hope. As Hope Air marks its 40th anniversary, the organization is reaffirming the commitment made in 1986: that no patient should be prevented from accessing care because of where they live or what they can afford.
“Last year, we helped facilitate more than 10,000 medical trips, but we know the need is far greater—especially as wait times grow and more patients are required to travel farther for care,” said Rubinstein. “Too many Canadians still don’t know this support exists. That’s why increasing awareness is so important: so patients who are struggling with the cost or distance of getting to care can find us when they need it most. You’re not alone—Hope Air may be able to help.”
Patients and healthcare providers can learn more or apply for support at
www.hopeair.ca or by calling
1-877-346-HOPE (4673).
About Hope Air Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free travel, accommodations, meals and ground transportation for Canadians in financial need who must access medical care far from home. Since its inception in 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 275,000 travel arrangements for patients regardless of age or medical need.
For people living on a low income in small and rural communities, distance and cost are very real barriers to accessing vital medical care. Hope Air is a unique and essential part of our Canadian healthcare system. Without the access Hope Air provides, our national system of universal healthcare coverage would fall short of its promise.
For more information, visit
hopeair.ca *Data cited from Hope Air’s 2025 Patient Impact Survey, a national survey of 1,375 patients who received medical travel support, conducted July 2025.
