Air Canada rouge to offer more Caribbean destinations this summer

Air Canada today announced that its leisure carrier subsidiary, Air Canada rouge, is expanding its choice of more Caribbean destinations this summer. Routes previously operated by Air Canada from Toronto and Montreal to Cuba, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Cancun and Tampa, FL, will be converted beginning this spring to Air Canada rouge service. Together with its previously announced 2014 summer schedule to Europe, Air Canada rouge plans to operate a total of 44 routes serving 28 popular vacation destinations, including continuation of its summer routes – Athens, Edinburgh and Venice – and new service to Barcelona, Dublin, Lisbon, Manchester, Nice and Rome.

The conversion of additional Caribbean vacation destinations to Air Canada rouge service represents an increase of 22 per cent more seats on these routes to the Caribbean this summer than last. The increase is greatest from Montreal where there will be in an increase of 36 per cent more seats on these routes and 20 per cent more flights than last summer with the introduction of additional flights to Cancun, Port-au-Prince and Punta Cana.

“Customer response to Air Canada rouge for vacation travel has been very positive since it started flying just last summer,” said Ben Smith, Air Canada’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer.  “The addition of more year-round Caribbean destinations to Air Canada rouge’s network is the next logical step as our leisure carrier enables us to compete on a more cost effective basis on these routes while leveraging the strength of Air Canada Vacations. Air Canada rouge’s Caribbean services complement this summer’s significant expansion to new European vacation destinations including Nice, Lisbon and Manchester, in addition to new service to Milan served year-round by the mainline carrier.  The growth of Air Canada rouge, in tandem with Air Canada’s mainline fleet renewal and international network expansion, continues to be a key element of Air Canada’s strategy for sustainable, profitable growth.”

By the end of March 2014, Air Canada rouge’s fleet will include four Boeing 767-300ER aircraft and 13 Airbus A319 aircraft transferred from Air Canada. Air Canada’s mainline fleet renewal is ongoing with the introduction of new aircraft.  Air Canada is scheduled to take delivery in February 2014 of the last of five new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to enter its mainline fleet since June 2013, and the first three of 37 Boeing 787 aircraft by the summer of 2014. Air Canada is scheduled to take delivery of a total of six 787 aircraft in 2014 and the remaining 31 between 2015 and 2019.