MONTREAL, Feb. 18, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today welcomed the signing of an expanded Canada-Mexico Air Transport Agreement that will facilitate flying between the two countries and benefit business, travelers and shippers.

"Mexico is an important market for Air Canada and this expanded agreement will further strengthen air linkages between Canada and our NAFTA partner. Among other things it provides an open framework for direct flights, introduces more commercial flexibility and contains provisions for safety and security. This is an important agreement and  we encourage the federal government to take the next step to build travel and tourism between Canada and Mexico and relax visa requirements for Mexican citizens visiting Canada in order that we can derive the full benefit of this agreement," said Derek Vanstone, Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Industry and Government Affairs at Air Canada. "More generally, the agreement also accords with Air Canada's desire for liberalized air agreements with large and important markets to expand air services and access in order to provide greater choice, convenience and travel opportunities for all Canadians, whether for business or leisure."

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 175 destinations on five continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2013 served more than 35 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities, 49 destinations in the United States and 67 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,328 destinations in 195 countries.  Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax that ranked Air Canada in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers as Best Airline in North America in 2013 for the fourth consecutive year.  For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com.

SOURCE Air Canada