Comox Valley Airport welcomes first Air Canada flight at YQQ

VANCOUVER ISLAND, May 1, 2015 /CNW/ - The Comox Valley community was pleased to welcome the first Air Canada flight into the Comox Valley Airport today, marking the commencement of a twice-daily, non-stop service from Comox to Vancouver.

"This new service provides access to destinations around the world starting right from Comox," said Comox Valley Airport CEO, Fred Bigelow.  "Passengers can enjoy the convenience of checking in for their flight at our airport and then seamlessly connect to destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe and across North America, all on the same ticket."

Mayors and community leaders were on the ramp to greet the arriving plane and later celebrated with a reception following the departure of the flight en route to YVR. Passengers on board were travelling to Vancouver or making connections at YVR into Air Canada's expansive network, which includes 180 destinations around the world.

"Today marks a proud moment as we launch our newest regional service at the Comox Valley Airport," said Kevin C. Howlett, Air Canada's Senior Vice President of Regional Markets. "Customers from the Comox, Courtenay and Campbell River areas can collect or redeem Aeroplan miles as they fly either point-to-point between Comox and Vancouver, or connect conveniently in Vancouver to and from our global network at our Vancouver hub."

The Comox schedule has been carefully planned to provide comprehensive connection options within the Air Canada route network.  Possible same-day connections from Comox with Air Canada include: all points within B.C., Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Honolulu, Maui, Sydney Australia and London Heathrow.

"We foresee numerous positive results for our region as a result of Air Canada operating in the Comox Valley.  New air service provides local economic benefits in terms of job creation at the airport, as well as spin-off effects for a wide range of local businesses and service providers," said Comox Valley Economic Development Society Executive Director, John Watson. "Better access to international markets can bring more visitors to the region and increase length of stay, both of which drive economic impacts.  Importantly, there is also the opportunity for local businesses to make connections with partners and suppliers in overseas markets."

The Comox/Vancouver route will be operated by Jazz Aviation LP under the Air Canada Express brand using a 50-seat, made-in-Canada Bombardier Dash 8-300 aircraft.

Flight	Departing	Arriving
AC 8307	Vancouver  8:55 a.m.	Comox   9:35 a.m.
AC 8308	Comox  9:55 a.m.	Vancouver  10:33 a.m.
AC 8309	Vancouver  4:25 p.m.	Comox   5:05 p.m.
AC 8310	Comox  5:25 p.m.	Vancouver 6:03 p.m.

Air Canada flight bookings to/from Comox can be made at www.aircanada.com or with a Travel Agent.

About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 180 destinations on five continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2013 served more than 35 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities, 49 destinations in the United States and 73 cities 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 1,316 airports in 192 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax that ranked Air Canada in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers as Best Airline in North America in 2014 for the fifth consecutive year. For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com.

SOURCE Comox Valley Airport

Media Contacts: Christianne Wile, Comox Valley Airport, 250-890-0829 ext. 253, [email protected]; Angela Mah, Air Canada, 604-270-5741, [email protected]