Air Canada launches into summer with new services to Barcelona and Athens

Toronto-Dublin, Toronto-Madrid, Montreal-Rome seasonal flights set to resume

TORONTO, June 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today launched its summer schedule to Europe with the inauguration of non-stop seasonal flights to Barcelona and Athens from Toronto and Montreal. Air Canada will operate flights to Athens and Barcelona using 240-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft providing best-value all-economy service for leisure travellers, with the option of enhanced seating comfort and legroom in the forward cabin and the ability to collect and redeem Aeroplan miles.

Air Canada, which was voted Best Airline North America in an international survey by Skytrax, will operate this summer up to 217 flights each week to a total of 14 destinations in Europe and the Middle East. In addition to Barcelona and Athens, new services include daily flights between London-Heathrow and St. John's and later this month the resumption of seasonal summer flights to Rome, Dublin and Madrid, as well as a second daily flight between Montreal and Paris that also offers one-stop service to and from Vancouver. In addition, Air Canada is launching new, year-round services this month to Brussels and Copenhagen.

"Air Canada's new non-stop summer services to Athens and Barcelona from both Toronto and Montreal will offer customers even more convenient options for planning vacations and visiting friends and relatives on both sides of the Atlantic," said Ben Smith Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada. "In addition to resuming our summer services to various destinations across Europe, leisure travellers will gain access to Barcelona and Athens which are important ports of call for cruise lines. With the addition of these new services to our 2010 summer schedule, we are continuing to strategically deploy capacity to meet seasonal demand."

"The GTAA is pleased to see these new routes and Air Canada's continued commitment to Toronto Pearson and the community we serve," said Lloyd McCoomb, President and Chief Executive of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. "By offering additional service to Europe, Air Canada is meeting the needs of passengers and offering more choice as people move around the world for business and pleasure."

"I am very pleased Air Canada has introduced this new service," said Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Member of Parliament for Mississauga Erindale, Bob Dechert. "This flight serves as an exciting new direct linkage between Toronto and Barcelona, one of Europe's most important economic centers and most vibrant leisure travel destinations."

"We are very pleased that our partner Air Canada continues to expand its international network out of Montreal. Apart from increasing travel choices for Montreal-area residents, these added services make Montreal airport an attractive hub and connecting point for international traffic, especially with our expanded U.S. transborder facility with its enhanced baggage and security services that improve passenger traffic flow," said James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Aeroports de Montreal.

Barcelona service

Air Canada's six weekly non-stop flights to Barcelona are timed to offer travellers convenient connections to the carrier's extensive North America network via its Toronto and Montreal hubs to and from: Ottawa, Québec City, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and New York. In Barcelona, connecting flights will be available with its Star Alliance partner Spanair to/from Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Alicante, Malaga and Sevilla.

Air Canada Vacations holiday packages will be available directly from Air Canada Vacations at aircanadavacations.com or by contacting travel agents in Canada.

    
    Toronto - Barcelona                            June 3 - October 16, 2010
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    Flight              Depart Toronto             Arrive Barcelona
                        Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday
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    AC814               18:10                      07:55 (+1)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight              Depart Barcelona           Arrive Toronto
                        Monday-Thursday-Saturday
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC815               11:55                      14:40
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Montreal - Barcelona                           June 4 - October 17, 2010
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight              Depart Montreal            Arrive Barcelona
                        Wednesday-Friday-Sunday
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC816               18:10                      07:25 (+1)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight              Depart Barcelona           Arrive Montreal
                        Wednesday-Friday-Sunday
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC817               11:55                      14:05
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

Athens service

Air Canada's six weekly non-stop flights to Athens are timed to offer travellers convenient connections to the carrier's extensive North America network via its Toronto and Montreal hubs to and from: Ottawa, Québec City, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and New York.

Air Canada Vacations holiday packages will be available directly from Air Canada Vacations at aircanadavacations.com or by contacting travel agents in Canada.

    
    Toronto - Athens                               June 6 - October 17, 2010
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight              Depart Toronto             Arrive Athens
                        Wednesday-Friday-Sunday
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC826               19:10                      11:45 (+1)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight              Depart Athens              Arrive Toronto
                        Tuesday-Friday-Sunday
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC827               12:15                      16:00
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Montreal - Athens                              June 3 - October 16, 2010
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight              Depart Montreal            Arrive Athens
                        Monday-Thursday-Saturday
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC828               18:10                      10:20 (+1)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight              Depart Athens              Arrive Montreal
                        Monday -Thursday-Saturday
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC829               13:15                      16:20
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

Toronto-Dublin: Air Canada will operate flights to Dublin six days a week between June 19, 2010 and September 14, 2010 using 240-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft providing best-value all-economy service for leisure travellers, with the option of enhanced seating comfort and legroom in the forward cabin. AC894 departs Toronto at 20:50, arriving in Dublin at 09:50. AC895 departs Dublin at 09:50, arriving back in Toronto at 12:10. Flights are timed to offer travellers convenient connections to the carrier's extensive North America network via its Toronto hub.

Toronto-Madrid: Air Canada will operate flights to Madrid five days a week between June 12, 2010 and September 30, 2010 using 211-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft offering a choice of Economy Class and Executive First service. Flights are timed to offer convenient connections to key cities in Eastern Canada and the United States as well as popular destinations in Spain including Alicante, Bilbao, Ibiza, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife, as well as Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. AC836 departs Toronto at 21:50, arriving in Madrid at 11:10. AC837 departs Madrid at 12:40, arriving back in Toronto at 15:15.

Montreal-Rome: Starting June 9, 2010 flights will be operated onboard with 211-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft offering a choice of Economy Class and Executive First service. Flights are timed to offer convenient connecting flights to key cities in Eastern Canada and the United States as well as popular destinations in Italy, including Bari, Lamezia, Milan, Naples, Palermo and Venice. AC892 departs Montreal at 19:00, arriving in Rome at 09:00. AC893 departs Rome at 13:40, arriving back in Montreal at 16:25. This is in addition to Toronto-Rome service that operates until October 29, 2010. AC890 leaves Toronto at 21:40 and arrives in Rome at 12:10. AC891 departs Rome at 11:35 and arrives in Toronto at 15:15.

St. John's-London-Heathrow: Air Canada will operate daily flights between St. John's and London-Heathrow between May 27, 2010 and September 26, 2010. The service will be operated with a newly refurbished, 120-seat A319 in a two cabin configuration offering a choice of Executive Class and Economy Service. The flight is timed for convenient connections to other major European cities including Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Glasgow, Dublin, Aberdeen, Manchester and Vienna. Flight AC822 leaves St. John's at 21:50, arriving in London-Heathrow at 06:25, and flight AC823 will leave London-Heathrow at 12:35, arriving back in St. John's at 14:35.

This summer Air Canada will offer non stop service between Canada and 14 European and Middle East cities including London-Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Geneva, Rome, Athens and Barcelona. Flights are timed to offer travellers convenient connections to the carrier's extensive North American and Canadian networks via Toronto and Montreal including: Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington.

Air Canada was named Best Airline North America in a worldwide survey of more than 17 million air travelers conducted by independent research firm Skytrax for their 2010 World Airline Awards.

In 2009, the readers of Business Traveler magazine voted Air Canada top airline in the following categories: Best Flight Attendants in North America, Best In-Flight Services in North America, Best Airline for Business Class Service in North America and Best North American Airline for International Travel. In addition, Air Canada was voted the Best Airline in Canada and the Best Airline in North America by the readers of Global Traveler magazine in an international survey of business travelers.

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international full-service airline providing scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 13th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 31 million customers annually. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 59 destinations in Canada, 58 in the United States and 60 in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,167 destinations in 181 countries. Air Canada customers can collect Aeroplan miles for future rewards through Canada's leading loyalty program, and Top Tier members enjoy reciprocal frequent flyer benefits including lounge and priority services.

For further information: Isabelle Arthur (Montreal), [phone]; Peter Fitzpatrick (Toronto), [phone]; Angela Mah (Vancouver), [phone]; Internet: aircanada.com