MONTREAL, June 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada launched today daily year-round non-stop flights between Montreal and Brussels, with same-plane service from Toronto. Flights on the new Brussels route are timed to offer travellers convenient connections to Air Canada's extensive North America network via the carrier's Montreal hub to: Ottawa, Québec City, Halifax, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Washington and New York. In Brussels, connecting flights are available with Star Alliance partner Brussels Airlines to several European destinations including Toulouse, Nice, Marseilles, Bologna, Milan, Rome, Porto; and several African destinations including Abidjan, Dakar, Douala, Kinshasa, Kigali, Conakry, Entebbe and Nairobi.

"The introduction of service between Brussels and Montreal also marks the launch of code share service to Abidjan and Conakry with our Star Alliance partner Brussels Airlines, with more destinations planned in the near future," said Marcel Forget, Vice President, Network Planning. "This new daily non-stop service is great news for customers travelling on business, for leisure as well as freight forwarders as it offers more choice for convenient travel to Canada, the U.S. Central and South America via our Montreal and Toronto hubs."

In his statement H.E. Canadian Ambassador to Belgium Louis de Lorimier said: "While negotiations towards concluding a vast Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU are ongoing, we are overjoyed by the return of Air Canada in Brussels. This new direct and airway connection between the capital of Belgium and of Europe, and Montreal, our Gateway to Canada, will allow our borders to come closer and will deepen the important cultural and economic links that we have forged throughout our common history. The bonds between Canada and Belgium are deep and are ready to be reinforced. This new direct airway connection will without a doubt strongly contribute to those bonds."

"The direct and year-round scheduled link between Brussels and Montreal is great news for our passengers", says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport. "Business travelers appreciate the non-stop service and Air Canada is a great addition to the Star Alliance's hub operation at Brussels Airport. We heartily welcome Air Canada at the European capital".

"Aéroports de Montréal applauds this new non-stop service as it increases Montréal-Trudeau's appeal as attractive hub and connecting point for international traffic and provides an easy and convenient gateway to and from several African countries," said James Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Aéroports de Montréal.

By this summer Air Canada will offer non stop service between Montreal and eight European gateway cities including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Brussels, Geneva, Rome, Athens and Barcelona.

As well, Air Canada's Star Alliance partners Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines offer service from Montreal to Munich and Zurich respectively, further increasing connections and travel options.

Air Canada will operate the new Montreal-Brussels non-stop service using newly refurbished 211-seat Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft offering a choice of Economy Class and Executive First service featuring 24 lay flat bed suites. Further details and a virtual tour of Air Canada's new cabin amenities including personal seatback entertainment are available at: http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/onboard/cabincomfort.html.

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    Flight       Depart       Arrive       Depart       Arrive
                 Toronto      Montreal     Montreal     Brussels
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    AC832        17:00        18:10        19:45        08:35 (+1)
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    Flight       Depart       Arrive       Depart       Arrive
                 Brussels     Montreal     Montreal     Toronto
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    AC833        10:45        12:25        14:00        15:15
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Air Canada was named Best Airline North America in a worldwide survey of more than 17 million air travelers conducted by independent research firm Skytrax for their 2010 World Airline Awards.

In 2009, the readers of Business Traveler magazine voted Air Canada top airline in the following categories: Best Flight Attendants in North America, Best In-Flight Services in North America, Best Airline for Business Class Service in North America and Best North American Airline for International Travel. In addition, Air Canada was voted the Best Airline in Canada and the Best Airline in North America by the readers of Global Traveler magazine in an international survey of business travelers.

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international full-service airline providing scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 15th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 31 million customers annually. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 59 destinations in Canada, 58 in the United States and 60 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 1,167 destinations in 181 countries. Air Canada customers can collect Aeroplan miles for future rewards through Canada's leading loyalty program, and Top Tier members enjoy reciprocal frequent flyer benefits including lounge and priority services.