Category: Air Canada

Air Canada named Best Airline in North America at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2018

Second consecutive year, seventh time in nine years that Air Canada has won
To learn more about the World Airline Awards, visit www.worldairlineawards.com.

MONTREAL, July 17, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada was named Best Airline in North America for the second consecutive year at the 2018 Skytrax World Airline Awards ceremony held today in London. It is the seventh time in the past nine years the carrier was selected as the best in North America by the World Airline Awards, which are based on passenger satisfaction surveys of approximately 20 million global travellers.

“We are very pleased that Air Canada has again been recognized as the Best Airline in North America by the highly respected Skytrax World Airline Awards. This is the seventh time in nine years Air Canada has been honoured with this award, demonstrating our successful transformation into a leading global carrier. I thank our 30,000 employees who are the true winners of the Skytrax Award, for delivering superior service while transporting more than 48 million customers a year safely to their destinations,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

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17 July 2018
Air Canada’s new aircraft footage is also a love letter to Vancouver

Monday 9 July 2018 – Posted by Travelweek Group
VANCOUVER — Was it a bird? Was it a plane? Yes, not just one plane but two, and they were shooting new footage for Air Canada.

Back in May, Vancouverites reported seeing a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft flying unusually low over English Bay, with another smaller plane following closely behind. Both aircraft were reportedly flying at just 2,800 feet.

It turns out the smaller plane was filming footage of Air Canada’s new aircraft as it flew above local landmarks like BC Place Stadium and the Vancouver Convention Centre.

A new video that was posted on Air Canada’s YouTube channel includes a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into how the footage was shot. Although the brand new Boeing is undoubtedly the main star, the video also beautifully captures Vancouver in all its glory.

A new video that was posted on Air Canada’s YouTube channel includes a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into how the footage was shot. Although the brand new Boeing is undoubtedly the main star, the video also beautifully captures Vancouver in all its glory.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf2W84jrGqs&w=656&h=399]
Air Canada has 61 firm orders for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which are scheduled for delivery by 2021. By the end of 2018, 18 of these will enter its fleet, reports Daily Hive.

9 July 2018

Air Canada Completes Inauguration of 25 New Non-Stop International, Transborder and Domestic Routes This Summer

Five regional services launch today: Montreal to Windsor and London ON; Edmonton to Kelowna and Victoria; Calgary to Comox

MONTREAL, July 2, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today inaugurates five new non-stop regional services from Montreal to Windsor, Montreal to London ON, Edmonton to Kelowna, Edmonton and Victoria, Calgary and Comox, completing the successful launch of 25 new year-round and seasonal routes this summer.

“We are very pleased to launch our newest domestic regional services today to offer customers more choice and convenience when travelling. The 25 international, transborder and domestic routes that we have strategically added this summer broaden and deepen our already expansive global network by adding new destinations and city pairings, and are consistent with company growth plans,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Airlines and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.

The 25 new routes were inaugurated between May 1 and July 2, 2018 and include a combination of Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express services:

Departure City	Destination	Service
Toronto	Buenos Aires	Mainline
Toronto	Shannon*	Mainline
Toronto	Zagreb*	Rouge
Toronto	Porto*	Rouge
Toronto	Bucharest*	Rouge
Toronto	Omaha	Express
Toronto	Providence*	Express
Toronto	Nanaimo*	Rouge
Toronto	Kamloops*	Rouge
Montreal	Tokyo Narita	Mainline
Montreal	Dublin*	Mainline
Montreal	Bucharest*	Rouge
Montreal	Lisbon*	Rouge
Montreal	Baltimore	Express
Montreal	Pittsburgh	Express
Montreal	Victoria*	Rouge
Montreal	Windsor	Express
Montreal	London, ON	Express
Vancouver	Zurich*	Mainline
Vancouver	Paris*	Mainline
Vancouver	Sacramento	Express
Edmonton	San Francisco	Express
Edmonton	Kelowna	Express
Edmonton	Victoria*	Express
Calgary	Comox*	Express

*Indicates summer seasonal route
Flights are timed to connect conveniently with Air Canada’s global network at major hubs, provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption, Star Alliance reciprocal benefits, and for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access where available, priority boarding and other benefits.

2 July 2018

Air Canada Rouge Celebrates its Fifth Birthday
MONTREAL, June 29, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada Rouge is celebrating its birthday, marking five years of providing customers with memorable beginnings and endings to their holidays. From its first flight on Canada Day 2013, Air Canada’s leisure carrier has grown to more than 50 aircraft from four, expanded to over 100 routes on five continents from an initial 14 routes, flown more than 25 million customers, and directly created 2,000 high-quality jobs for Canadians.

Fast Facts about Air Canada Rouge
- Over 25 million customers carried since launch\Service to more than 70 destinations on five continents
- Over 2,000 high-quality incremental jobs created, including almost 600 pilots and over 1400 Rouge Crew
- Fleet of 53 aircraft (22 Airbus A319s, 6 Airbus A321s and 25 Boeing 767s).
- High-speed satellite internet being implemented across entire fleet
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29 June 2018
Air Canada’s New Uniforms Recognized Internationally for Best Corporate Design
- Airline is first North American company to receive the award from Europe’s Professional Clothing Awards
- Third award for Air Canada’s new uniforms
MONTREAL, June 22, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada’s newly launched uniforms have been recognized for Best Corporate Design by the UK’s Professional Clothing Awards. It is the first time a North American company has been recognized in these highly regarded awards and it follows on two Image of the Year Awards received in March from the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors. Air Canada’s new uniforms were launched earlier this year.

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25 June 2018
Air Canada Inaugurates Three New Non-Stop Domestic Routes

Air Canada today inaugurated the first of three new, non-stop domestic services from BC communities with the departure of AC1976 from Kamloops to Toronto. Tomorrow, Air Canada will inaugurate new non-stop seasonal services from Victoria to Montreal, and from Nanaimo to Toronto. These newest domestic long-haul services are operated onboard the airline’s leisure carrier Air Canada Rouge, which will be celebrating its fifth birthday on July 1.

“We are very pleased to launch the only non-stop services from Nanaimo and Kamloops to Toronto, and from Victoria to Montreal in time for the busy summer travel period. The convenience of these new services makes it easier than ever for customers from other parts of our network to travel to beautiful British Columbia’s Vancouver Island and Thompson Okanagan areas. Customers from Nanaimo, Victoria and Kamloops now have the convenience of non-stop flights to Toronto and Montreal, where unparalleled connecting options are also available throughout our far-reaching North American and global network,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Airlines and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.

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21 June 2018
Air Canada takes on the low cost carriers

Air Canada’s move to launch its own loyalty programme in 2020 will help to attract more foreign investors who will bolster its stock price, CEO Calin Rovinescu said this week. Air Canada said it is negotiating with potential credit card partners and expects to announce a decision by year-end. The airline served notice last year that it does not plan to renew its 30-plus year partnership with Aimia Inc.-operated Aeroplan when the current contract ends in 2020.

Rovinescu said the industry as a whole isn’t fully rewarded because past airline bankruptcies on both sides of border made such investments risky.

But he said its decision not to renew its Aeroplan partnership will deliver up to about $2.5 billion of value for investors.

“That can actually go a long way to eliminating that multiple differential that exists with the US carriers,” he said.

Chief financial officer Michael Rousseau added that the share price should also be helped as it attracts more investors from the US, Europe and Asia. Currently, 42 percent of its shareholders are from outside of Canada.

Air Canada said it is preparing to deploy its Rouge low-cost airplanes on routes to Western Canada to compete with ultra-low-cost rivals.

The first routes will be between Montreal and Victoria, along with Toronto to Nanaimo and Kamloops, B.C., starting in June.

Three more planes will be added to the Rouge fleet, bringing it to 53 aircraft. One of the planes will be used to replace a regional aircraft.

The larger Rouge plane will reduce costs by decreasing the number of daily flights on that route.

WestJet Airlines is launching its Swoop ultra-low-cost airline in June to compete with Flair Airlines and other carriers preparing to start service.

Air Canada reported a smaller-than-expected loss in its first quarter as its revenue grew compared with a year ago, boosted by increased capacity and passenger traffic.

The Montreal-based airline said it lost $170 million or 62 cents per diluted share for the quarter compared with a loss of $13 million or five cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled a record $4.07 billion, up from $3.64 billion as it experienced a strong performance in most areas and particularly in the business cabin.

Chief executive Calin Rovinescu told analysts that the strong results were achieved despite higher costs resulting from winter service disruptions.

“Despite these challenges, our first quarter performance demonstrates our ability to perform against headwinds and our progress towards consistent earnings and long-term sustained profitability,” he said.

The most recent quarter included losses on foreign exchange of $112 million compared with gains on foreign exchange of $70 million in the first quarter of 2017.

On an adjusted basis, Air Canada said it lost $52 million or 19 cents per diluted share compared with an adjusted loss of $63 million or 23 cents per diluted share a year ago.

Analysts on average had expected an adjusted loss of 44 cents per share for the quarter, according to Thomson Reuters.

20 June 2018
Air Canada Rouge Inaugurates Montreal-Bucharest Flights

Only North American Airline to Operate flights to Romania

MONTREAL, June 8, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – The arrival of Air Canada flight 1928 at Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport marks the launch of twice weekly Air Canada Rouge seasonal service to Bucharest, Romania. Flights will be operated with Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER aircraft featuring Premium Rouge and Economy class service and are timed to optimize connectivity from across Air Canada’s network through Air Canada’s Montreal hub.

“As the only North American airline flying to Romania, the largest European market without trans-Atlantic flights, we are extremely proud to launch our first Montreal-Bucharest flight, strengthening even further Air Canada’s presence in Southeastern Europe,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. “Air Canada’s on-going commitment to grow Montreal as an important hub in our global network provides customers greater choice, as well as the ability to conveniently connect onward through our extensive North American and International network.”

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8 June 2018

Air Canada Inaugurates Two New International Dreamliner Routes From Vancouver

Air Canada B787-9 VANCOUVER, June 7, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada today launched the first of two new international Boeing 787 Dreamliner routes to Europe with a celebration prior to the departure of the carrier’s inaugural flight from Vancouver to Zurich. Tomorrow, the airline will launch non-stop flights to Paris, marking five non-stop European routes from Air Canada’s YVR hub.

“We are delighted to launch new non-stop flights from Vancouver to Zurich and to Paris, both onboard our state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The strategic addition of these seasonal international flights further strengthens our YVR hub which combined with our extensive North American network, provides excellent options for travelers from BC and the North American west coast to Europe, and as well as for European visitors and beyond to western Canada and the Pacific Northwest,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.

“These new flights are great news for travelers and for tourism,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “As more Europeans choose to vacation in British Columbia, I’m pleased to see Air Canada creating options to meet that demand. Having more direct flights makes traveling to our beautiful province easier for people. This means more visits to B.C. and more jobs for British Columbians.”

Air Canada’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners feature three cabins of service with enhanced definition individual on-demand personal entertainment offering a wide range of movies, short films, TV programs and audio selections at every seat throughout the aircraft.

All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption, and for eligible customers, priority services and access to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounges.

Flight #	Routing	Departs	Arrives
AC802	Vancouver-Zurich	01:00 p.m. Tue/Thur/Sat	7:55 a.m. (+1 day)
AC803	Zurich-Vancouver	10:05 a.m. Wed/Fri/Sun	10:25 a.m.
AC806	Vancouver-Paris	12:45 p.m. Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun	07:40 a.m. (+1 day)
AC807	Paris-Vancouver	09:25 a.m. Mon/Tue/Thur/Sat	10:20 a.m.

From its YVR hub this summer, Air Canada offers up to 1,293 flights each week non-stop to eight destinations in Asia, three destinations in Australia, five destinations in Europe, 16 destinations in the USA, 22 destinations in Canada and two destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.

7 June 2018