Air Canada to Launch New Boeing 787 Dreamliner Routes from Vancouver

Air Canada has unveiled plans to launch flights from Vancouver to Paris and Zurich in June 2018, and the start a year-round service to Melbourne, Australia.

The new flights will be available for purchase starting 6 September 2017.

Air Canada will also increase its non-stop Delhi flights from Vancouver that resume 14 October, with up to five times weekly service for the 2017/2018 season, and increase its London-Heathrow service with twice-daily flights for summer 2018.

"We continue to strategically broaden our international network from our Vancouver hub with the addition of two new, non-stop international services to Europe in 2018, more year-round flights to Australia, and additional flights to Delhi and London Heathrow," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. "With the launch of flights to Paris and Zurich, Air Canada will fly non-stop from YVR to five European destinations next summer, offering excellent options for travellers from BC and the North American west coast to Europe, and as well as for European visitors and beyond to western Canada and the Pacific Northwest."

All new routes are timed to optimize connectivity at Air Canada's Vancouver hub to and from the airline's extensive network across North America. The new Vancouver-Zurich flights will connect to and from destinations in Europe, Africa and India with Star Alliance partner Swiss International Air Lines. All Australia flights are timed to connect to and from Adelaide, Canberra, Perth and to Tasmania with codeshare partner Virgin Australia.

"Following our upcoming launch of seasonal service to Melbourne this winter, we are delighted to serve Australia's second largest city year-round starting in June. Melbourne is our third Australian destination, and our flights provide convenience to both business and leisure travellers between North America and Australia with competitive elapsed travel times and seamless connections offered by the in-transit preclearance facilities at our YVR hub," said Mr. Smith. "All new flights from YVR to Paris, Zurich and Melbourne will be operated with our state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The operating economics of the Dreamliners together with the Vancouver Airport Authority's efforts to maintain airport operating costs among the lowest in Canada have enabled us to expand our network here to connect our already extensive B.C., Western Canada and U.S. routes to even more international destinations, and position YVR as a preferred option to travel through."

Air Canada's Boeing 787 Dreamliners feature three cabins of service with enhanced definition individual on-demand personal entertainment offering a wide range of movies, short films, TV programs and audio selections at every seat throughout the aircraft.

All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption, Star Alliance reciprocal benefits and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, access to Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounges, priority boarding and other benefits.

"Just one of these new connections would have been big news, but to be able to announce three major new services in one day is really exciting, and a true testament to the work Air Canada is doing to grow their transpacific hub here at YVR," said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. "These new flights will open up exciting opportunities for travellers to connect to and from Europe, Australia and beyond. I would like to thank our long-standing partner Air Canada for continuing to bring these exciting new services to YVR."

So far in 2017, Air Canada has launched new services from its Vancouver hub to: Taipei (year-round), Frankfurt (seasonal), Nagoya (seasonal), London-Gatwick (seasonal), Dallas-Fort Worth (year-round), Denver (year-round) and Boston (seasonal). Delhi seasonal service resumes on 14 October and will increase up to five times weekly for the 2017/2018 season. Still to launch are: Melbourne seasonal flights beginning 1 December, Yellowknife seasonal flights beginning 15 December, and Orlando seasonal flights beginning 20 December.

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