Estimated reading time 5 minutes, 52 seconds.
Air Canada announced it will begin new domestic regional non-stop flights on July 2, 2018.
The airline also announced its current seasonal non-stop Vancouver-Delhi flights will become year-round starting June 8, 2018.
“We are pleased to offer new non-stop flights onboard our Bombardier Q400s between popular B.C. and Alberta cities as we continue to strategically expand our already extensive domestic network,” said Benjamin Smith, president, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.
“With the continued growth at several communities on Vancouver Island and in the B.C. Okanagan, we see the opportunity to add new non-stop services and provide additional convenient travel options.”
“With Alberta being such a key market, the new direct flights into Kelowna, Victoria and Comox are great news for British Columbia’s visitor economy,” said Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia.
“Air Canada’s commitment to servicing these routes is not only a huge boost for the individual communities, it is also a major benefit for the Thompson Okanagan and Vancouver Island regions as a whole.”
“Consistent and convenient air service is vital to connect travelers with new destinations and to entice return visits,” added Lisanne Ballantyne, president and CEO of Tourism Kelowna.
“These additional routes support the central Okanagan’s growing popularity for leisure and business visitors seeking relaxing vacations or a vibrant meetings and event destination. We appreciate the expanded global connections this offers for visitors who want to discover Kelowna’s culinary experiences, year-round outdoor adventures, golf getaways, or to attend festivals and events in our lakeside city.”
“We are pleased to learn of the additional daily flights between Calgary and Comox. It will give our residents additional connectivity to the rest of Air Canada’s world-wide network. Visitors to the Comox Valley will appreciate the convenience of a mid-day flight in providing easy access to the incredible attractions and amenities in the Valley and beyond,” said Mayor Paul Ives, Town of Comox.
“Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism welcomes this news and thanks Air Canada for recognizing the importance of the Comox Valley Airport as a critical transportation hub on Vancouver Island. This expanded connectivity will support increased visitation, business travel and investment, which in turn supports the economic well-being of the regional economy,” added John Watson, executive director, Comox Valley Economic Development and Tourism.
The new routes complement Air Canada’s previously announced new non-stop North America routes beginning 2018:
- Toronto to: Omaha, Providence, Nanaimo, Kamloops;
- Montreal to: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Victoria;
- Edmonton to: San Francisco; and
- Vancouver to: Sacramento.
Air Canada will launch new international services in 2018 including:
- Toronto to: Shannon (Ireland), Porto (Portugal), Zagreb (Croatia), Bucharest(Romania), Buenos Aires (Argentina);
- Montreal to: Tokyo-Narita (Japan), Dublin (Ireland), Bucharest (Romania),Lisbon (Portugal); and
- Vancouver to: Paris (France), Zurich (Switzerland).
Delhi flights
Customer response to Air Canada’s non-stop Vancouver-Delhi season flights has been extremely positive, said Smith.
“We are very pleased to extend the only flights between Western Canada and India to year-round beginning in June,” he added. “Our flights to Delhi from our YVR trans-Pacific hub onboard our state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner offers the shortest elapsed flying time from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles to the Indian subcontinent, and coupled with our streamlined and seamless connections process at YVR, means a savings of three to five hours compared to journeys connecting in Europe or Asia.
“Our non-stop Vancouver to Delhi flights together with our non-stop Toronto to Delhi and Mumbai flights represent three year-round routes to India launched within the last two and a half years. Air Canada is committing close to $1.5 billion worth of aircraft between Canada and India, underscoring our commitment to this vibrant market and to our continuing strategic, global expansion.”
“Customer response to our nonstop Vancouver-Delhi seasonal flights initially launched in 2016 has been extremely positive, and we are very pleased to extend the only flights between Western Canada and India to year-round beginning in June. Our flights to Delhi from our YVR trans-Pacific hub onboard our state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner offers the shortest elapsed flying time from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles to the Indian subcontinent, and coupled with our streamlined and seamless connections process at YVR, means a savings of 3-5 hours compared to journeys connecting in Europe or Asia,” said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. “Our non-stop Vancouver to Delhi flights together with our non-stop Toronto to Delhi and Mumbaiflights represent three year-round routes to India launched within the last two and a half years. Air Canada is committing close to $1.5 billion worth of aircraft between Canada and India, underscoring our commitment to this vibrant market and to our continuing strategic, global expansion.”
Air Canada’s flights to India operate with the airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner configured in three cabins with 30 International Business Class lie-flat suites, 21 Premium Economy and 247 Economy Class seats.
All flights feature multi-lingual crews, and offer personal in-flight entertainment which includes Bollywood hits and acclaimed multi-lingual art-house films.
