Air Canada – Overview
Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline and serves as the flag carrier of Canada. A wholly owned subsidiary of ACE Aviation Holdings Inc, the airline is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec.
By the end of 2005, Air Canada offered direct passenger air transportation to 159 destinations and ranked as the 12th largest airline in the world.
History
1936 – Founded as Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA).
September 1, 1937 – Inaugural flight from Vancouver to Seattle, carrying 2 passengers and mail.
1964 – Renamed from TCA to Air Canada, becoming the national airline.
1987 – First airline in the world to introduce a fleet-wide non-smoking policy.
1989 – Fully privatized.
2000 – Acquired Canadian Airlines International, the second-largest Canadian air carrier.
Destinations Covered
Air Canada’s global reach is supported by partnerships with Star Alliance members and other commercial agreements, serving over 795 destinations in 139 countries.
Key Regions & Countries Served:
Americas – US, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
Europe – France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Italy, Spain, Ireland.
Asia-Pacific – China, Japan, South Korea, Australia.
South West Asia – Israel.
India – Direct flights to Delhi.
Fleet (as of July 24, 2009)
Total fleet: 202 aircraft including:
Airbus A319-100, A320-200, A321-200, A330-300
Boeing 767-300ER, 777-200LR, 777-300ER, 787-8
Embraer 175, Embraer 190
Orders placed: 37 Boeing 787-8.
Average fleet age (Feb 2009): 8.8 years.
Alliances & Achievements
Operates with Jazz, Canada’s largest regional carrier, for a combined fleet of 322 aircraft.
Founding member of the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network.
First airline to implement turbine technology fleet-wide to reduce operational costs and improve productivity.
Pioneered jet freighter service using DC-8 equipment.
Services
Cabin Classes:
International long-haul: Executive First Class, Economy Class.
Domestic & short-haul: Executive Class, Economy Class.
Other Services:
Vacation packages to the Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Las Vegas, Central & South America, and Asia.
Maple Leaf Lounges: Available for Executive First Class, Executive Class, Super Elite, Elite, and Star Alliance Gold passengers. Lounge access can be purchased at ticket booking.
