Air Canada Launches Montreal-Shanghai Flights

Air Canada has launched daily year-round flights between Montreal and Shanghai, China, the airline's first direct service to Asia from Montreal.

The service offers convenient one-stop access to points throughout Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the United States, and also marks the airline's first route from Montreal to be operated with its state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and cabin features.

With an average flight time of over 13.5 hours, it is the longest flight ever operated by any carrier from Montréal-Trudeau airport.

"China is Canada's second largest trading partner and Air Canada is the first and only Canadian carrier to operate daily non-stop transpacific service between Montreal and the Asia," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. "Together with our Star Alliance partners, Air China and Shenzhen Airlines, and partner Juneyao Airlines, that serves more than 30 destinations in China, we are now offering the growing number of travellers between Montreal and China even more convenient travel options. With our recently announced Montreal-Tel Aviv, Montreal-Algiers and Montreal-Marseille flights, Air Canada has now increased its international capacity from Montreal by 168% since 2009, with direct service to 13 cities in Europe, two in North Africa, one in the Middle-East and starting today, China."

In Montreal, flights are timed to optimize connections to and from the carrier's extensive Eastern Canada and U.S. networks including Ottawa, Quebec City, Halifax, New York and Boston.

In Shanghai, Star Alliance partners Air China and Shenzhen Airlines, along with partner Juneyao Airlines, offer connectivity to domestic China destinations such as Chengdu, Chongqing and Shenzhen.

Québec's Minister of Tourism, Ms. Julie Boulet, said, "There is no doubt that this new daily route between Shanghai and Montreal will increase the number of Chinese tourists in Quebec, which has already almost tripled from 2010 to 2015. This bridge between the two continents will stimulate the growth of our commercial and tourist exchanges with China, which will, in turn, promote Quebec's economic expansion."

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