Air Canada and Spanair form Alliance Partnership

Air Canada President and CEO, Robert Milton, and Spanair Director General and CEO, Enrique Melia, today signed a commercial agreement to develop an alliance partnership that will offer improved service for air travellers between North America and the Iberian peninsula.

The creation of an alliance partnership between Air Canada and Spanair coincides with Air Canada's launch April 7, 2002 of non-stop service between Toronto and Madrid. It also strengthens the connectivity of the Spanish carrier's extensive domestic network to that of the Star Alliance global network, of which Air Canada is a founding member, as well as Scandinavian Airline Systems (SAS) which is a shareholder of Spanair S.A. 

"We look forward to developing a long term, mutually beneficial alliance relationship with Spanair that will benefit travellers between Canada, Spain and Portugal," said Air Canada President and CEO, Robert Milton. "Just as we prepare to launch non-stop service between Toronto and Madrid, today's agreement further extends Air Canada's network within Europe and strengthens the range of benefits we offer customers."

"By means of this alliance, Spanair will have access to Air Canada's Toronto hub and also to cities right across Canada and throughout he USA," said Enrique Melia, Director General & CEO of Spanair. "Through this partnership our two airlines will be able to ease travel between Spain and North America, for the benefit of our customers."

Provisions in the Air Canada-Spanair agreement cover such key elements as reciprocal participation in frequent flyer programs, schedule coordination, through check-in, reciprocal lounge access and, subject to government approval, codesharing. 

Beginning in April 2002, the airlines' schedules and passengers services will be coordinated to provide travellers with easy one-stop check-in and conveniently scheduled joint flights between Toronto and three destinations in Spain: Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca. Spanair also offers convenient connections for flights between Madrid and Lisbon, Portugal. 

In addition, reciprocal accumulation and redemption of each airline's frequent flyer program miles will result in substantially increased benefits for Aeroplan and Spanair Plus members. 

Spanair, founded in December 1986, operates close to 350 flights per day to 31 destinations with a fleet of 52 aircraft, including Airbus state-of-the- art A320 and A321s. Spanair served more than eight million customers in 2001. 

Montréal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 160 destinations on five continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 12th largest commercial airline in the world and serves more than 30 million customers annually with a fleet consisting of more than 300 aircraft. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance providing the world's most comprehensive air transportation network.