MONTREAL, June 1 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada inaugurates today year-round
non-stop service between Montreal and Geneva (first flight departs Geneva June
2, 2009), with same-plane service continuing on to/from Toronto. The carrier's
Star Alliance partner, Swiss International Air Lines, will offer seats on a
codeshare basis on the new route.
    "The introduction of the only non-stop service between Montreal and
Geneva is great news for customers traveling on business, including
international organizations, as well as for leisure travelers providing easy
access to major tourist locations in Switzerland and France," said Ben Smith,
Air Canada's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "Air
Canada's new non-stop Geneva service, offered in cooperation with our Star
Alliance partner, SWISS, will provide more choice for convenient international
travel via our Montreal hub."
    "Air Canada's new service to Geneva is a significant addition to our
European network from Montréal," said Mr. James Cherry, President and Chief
Executive Officer at Aéroports de Montréal. "The link is a natural one between
two international cities, headquarters to many international organizations."
    According to Mr. Robert Deillon, Director-General of Geneva International
Airport, "Montreal has been for years the unserved long-haul destination with
the strongest demand from Geneva. This new Air Canada route is very exciting
for our airport and I am convinced that both leisure and business passengers
will make it rapidly a success."
    Air Canada will operate the new Montreal-Geneva non-stop service using
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
    With the addition of non-stop service to Geneva, Air Canada expands its
transatlantic network to complement its non-stop Toronto-Zurich flights, also
offered on a codeshare basis by SWISS, and SWISS-operated Montreal-Zurich
flights offered by Air Canada on a codeshare basis. The new Montreal-Geneva
service will also provide easy access to a number of popular destinations in
France served by train such as nearby Lyon, Annecy, Dijon and Grenoble.
    Flights on the new Geneva route are timed to offer travellers convenient
connections on Air Canada's extensive North America network via the carrier's
Montreal hub to and from: Toronto (same plane), Ottawa, Quebec City, Halifax,
Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and
New York. In Geneva, connecting flights are available to/from a number of
destinations including Beirut, as well as alternate routings for Athens,
Barcelona, and Zurich on SWISS.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight                Depart         Arrive        Depart         Arrive
                          Toronto        Montreal      Montreal       Geneva
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC830                 18:00          19:18         20:45          10:05
    LX4643                                                            (+1)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Flight                Depart         Arrive        Depart         Arrive
                          Geneva         Montreal      Montreal       Toronto
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AC831                 12:15          14:30         16:00          17:17
    LX4642
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------With the addition of three new destinations this year, Geneva, Fort de
France, Martinique and Rome, Air Canada offers non-stop service from Montréal
to 50 destinations. By the summer Air Canada will have increased capacity
across the Atlantic from Montréal by 35 per cent year over year, with non stop
service to five European gateway cities including London, Paris, Frankfurt,
Geneva and Rome.

    Montréal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air
transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five
continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 13th largest commercial airline in
the world and serves 33 million customers annually. Air Canada is a founding
member of Star Alliance, providing the world's most comprehensive air
transportation network for Canadian domestic, transborder and international
travel. Air Canada aircraft offer customers individualized seatback in-flight
entertainment systems with hundreds of hours of digital audio-visual
entertainment. As well, customers can collect Aeroplan miles for future awards
through Canada's leading loyalty program.
    In 2008, the readers of Business Traveler magazine voted Air Canada "Best
In-Flight Services in North America," "Best Airline for Business Class Service
in North America" and "Best North American Airline for International Travel."