2015 summer peak capacity increase of 20 per cent over 2014 for a total of 50 per cent capacity growth from Montreal to Europe over the past two years

MONTREAL, Sept. 25, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada announced today it is boosting its international Summer 2015 capacity to Europe from Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport by 20 per cent over 2014 with the launch of seasonal non-stop flights between Montreal and Venice, a doubling of flights to Paris and added service to Athens and Barcelona.

"Air Canada continues its international expansion from Montreal next summer led by the addition of new Air Canada rouge service between Montreal and Venice.  Other enhancements to the summer schedule include double daily Air Canada service to Paris from Montreal, featuring Air Canada's award-winning International Business Class service, and increased weekly Air Canada rouge frequencies to such popular vacation destinations as Barcelona and Athens," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines, at Air Canada. "This represents a 20% capacity increase to Europe over last summer, 50% over the past two years, reinforcing Montréal-Trudeau Airport as a strategic hub and international gateway for Air Canada, connecting its Québec, Atlantic Canada and U.S. networks with its European routes."

"We are very pleased with the growth of Air Canada's capacity to Europe," said James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal.  "Air Canada's expansion strengthens the position of Montreal-Trudeau and underscores the benefits of our strong partnership with Montreal's largest carrier."

Highlights of the 2015 summer schedule include:

• Double-daily Air Canada service from Montreal to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The additional flight will be offered from June to September and be operated with a 211-seat Boeing 767-300ER with 24 International Business Class pods featuring fully lie-flat seats aircraft to complement existing Boeing 777 service.
  
  
• New Air Canada rouge service between Montreal and Venice beginning May 14, 2015.
  
  
• As well, from Montreal, Air Canada rouge service to Athens will double to four times weekly and service to Barcelona will increase to three-times weekly from twice weekly in summer 2014. Overall, Air Canada rouge service to Athens, Barcelona, and Nice will operate a longer season during the summer of 2015 over summer 2014.
  
  
• Air Canada and Air Canada rouge will offer 10 European destinations from Montreal: Paris, London, Brussels, Geneva, Frankfurt, Athens, Rome, Nice, Barcelona, and Venice, as well as Munich and Zurich through its Star Alliance partners

By Summer 2015, Air Canada, Air Canada rouge and its regional commercial partners flying under the Air Canada Express banner will operate on average approximately 2,000 flights per week from Montreal to 71 destinations: 23 in Canada including 9 in Québec, 15 in the United States, 23 in the Caribbean and Mexico, and 10 European gateways.

About Air Canada 

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 180 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 73 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 1,316 airports in 192 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 2014 for the fifth consecutive year.  For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com.

About Air Canada rouge 

Air Canada rouge is Air Canada's new leisure airline, part of the Air Canada Leisure Group, along with Air Canada Vacations. Together with Air Canada Vacations, Air Canada rouge offers competitively-priced travel to 45 exciting leisure destinations on 61 routes in Japan, Europe (including Edinburgh, Venice, Athens, Lisbon, Dublin, Nice, Barcelona, Rome and Manchester) and multiple destinations in Mexico, the U.S. and the Caribbean (including Cuba, Costa Rica, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic).

Air Canada rouge offers a unique brand of customer service designed to make every flight a memorable start and end to a wonderful vacation. Aircraft are equipped with player, a next generation in-flight entertainment system that wirelessly streams entertainment to customers' personal electronic devices.  Air Canada rouge's player system has proven popular as customers increasingly bring their own personal electronic devices onboard. For more information and bookings, visit: http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/rouge.html

As a wholly-owned subsidiary, Air Canada rouge is backed by Air Canada's 75-year reputation for safety and reliability and Air Canada Vacations' 30-plus year history of vacation travel excellence. Learn more at www.aircanada.com/rouge or www.facebook.com/aircanadarouge

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Air Canada's public communications may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are based on assumptions and are subject to important risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements cannot be relied upon due to, amongst other things, changing external events and general uncertainties of the business. Actual results may differ materially from results indicated in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including without limitation, industry, market, credit and economic conditions, the ability to reduce operating costs and secure financing, pension issues, energy prices, employee and labour relations, currency exchange and interest rates, competition, war, terrorist acts, epidemic diseases, environmental factors (including weather systems and other natural phenomena, and factors arising from man-made sources), insurance issues and costs, changes in demand due to the seasonal nature of the business, supply issues, changes in laws, regulatory developments or proceedings, pending and future litigation and actions by third parties as well as the factors identified throughout Air Canada's public disclosure file available at www.sedar.com.  Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent Air Canada's expectations as of the date of this news release and are subject to change after such date.  However, Air Canada disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations.

SOURCE Air Canada