Canada's flag carrier becomes one of only a dozen airlines worldwide flying to six continents.
MONTREAL – Air Canada announced one of its most far-reaching summer schedule expansions ever with its first route to Africa and the addition of four major European cities to its global network. The new Air Canada rouge service to Casablanca, Morocco, means Air Canada will be one of only a dozen airlines in the world that serve six continents.
“Air Canada is solidifying its position among leading global carriers by becoming one of only a dozen airlines flying to six continents with today’s announcement of non-stop service to Casablanca, our first destination in Africa. Our Montreal-Casablanca flight will also be the only service to North Africa by a North American carrier and our aim is to transform this new route into a year-round operation. Our new, non-stop Air Canada rouge routes to Budapest, Prague, Warsaw, and Glasgow from Toronto Pearson are equally important as we continue to build out our network from our global gateway hub with more international destinations. The European services will be complemented by our Star Alliance partners, giving customers an even wider choice of travel options,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.
All the new services will be operated by Air Canada rouge, Air Canada’s leisure carrier. All flights will be flown using a 280-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft offering a choice of premium and economy cabins. Customers will have the ability to collect and redeem Aeroplan miles. Seats are now available for purchase. To promote these new non-stop routes, Air Canada is offering a special introductory fare starting as low as CAD$869 roundtrip, all-in for travel before July 2016.
Route Details:
- Toronto-Prague: service begins May 29, 2016 with flight AC1922 and operates three times weekly. Departs Toronto at 16:55 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Prague at 7:20 the next day. Return flight AC1923 departs Prague at 9:30 and arrives in Toronto 12:40 on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Service ends for the season on Sept. 29, 2016.
- Montreal-Casablanca: service begins June 3, 2016 with flight AC1936 and operates four times weekly, subject to obtaining the necessary government approvals. Departs Montreal at 21:40 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Casablanca at 10:00 the next day. Return flight AC1937 departs Casablanca at 11:55 and arrives in Montreal at 14:45 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Service ends for the season on Oct. 17, 2016.
- Toronto-Budapest: service begins June 10, 2016 with flight AC1910 and operates three times weekly. Departs Toronto at 22:35 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving in Budapest 13:35 the next day. Return flight AC1911 departs Budapest at 15:05 and arrives in Toronto at 18:45 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Service ends for the season on Oct. 15, 2016.
- Toronto-Glasgow: service begins June 13, 2016 with flight AC1938 and operates three times weekly. Departs Toronto at 18:55 on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, arriving in Glasgow at 6:40 the next day. Return flight AC1939 departs Glasgow at 8:25 and arrives in Toronto 10:50 on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Service ends for the season on Sept. 25, 2016.
- Toronto-Warsaw: service begins June 16, 2016 with flight AC1926 and operates three times weekly. Departs Toronto at 18:30 on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, arriving in Warsaw at 9:30 the next day. Return flight AC1927 departs Warsaw at 11:00 and arrives Toronto 14:50 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Service ends for the season on Sept. 30, 2016.
Since 2009, Air Canada has increased its system-wide international capacity, measured by seats, by approximately 50 per cent. This year, Air Canada launched new international services from Montreal to Venice and Mexico, Vancouver to Osaka, and Toronto to Amsterdam. In November, the airline will launch non-stop service to Dubai and Delhi from Toronto and it has also announced new service beginning in 2016 to Brisbane from Vancouver, to Lyon from Montreal, and to London-Gatwick from Toronto.
Air Canada to Launch New Service from Montreal to Casablanca
Air Canada also announced that it will launch non-stop service between Montreal and Casablanca, the carrier’s first African route and the only scheduled non-stop service to North Africa by a North American carrier. Flights between Montreal and the famed Moroccan city will be operated by Air Canada rouge beginning in summer 2016, subject to government approval.
“Air Canada is delighted to offer its first flight to Africa and it is natural that Montreal should be the departure point for this significant new addition to our international network. The route will be appealing both for tourists traveling to Casablanca and beyond, as well as for the large Moroccan community based in Montreal. Customers will now enjoy convenient service on the only non-stop flight by a North American carrier to North Africa, with convenient connections throughout Canada and the U.S. on Air Canada’s extensive network. For these reasons, we aim to eventually convert this seasonal route to a year-round service,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. “By making us one of the few carriers in the world to fly to six continents, our new Casablanca service also represents an important element in our ongoing international expansion strategy.”
“This new Montreal-Casablanca route starting in the summer of 2016 is excellent news for Montreal. The addition of non-stop service to the African continent, presenting numerous business development opportunities, is beneficial for the Montreal metropolitan area. We are also delighted that Air Canada’s new service is to Morocco, a francophone country,” said Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montreal.
“Aeroports de Montreal welcomes Air Canada’s decision to launch a new direct service to Morocco because it confirms Montreal-Trudeau’s role as a hub between North America and the francophone countries of Europe and Africa,” said ADM President and Chief Executive Officer James Cherry.
The new service will be operated by Air Canada rouge, Air Canada’s leisure carrier. All flights will be flown using a 280-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft offering a choice of premium and economy cabins. Customers will have the ability to collect and redeem Aeroplan miles. Seats are now available for purchase. To promote the new route, Air Canada is offering a special introductory fare starting as low as CAD$869 roundtrip, all-in for travel before July 2016.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
