- Daily, same plane, one-stop service from Toronto to Sydney
    - Daily, non-stop service from Vancouver to Sydney

    VANCOUVER, Dec. 14 /CNW Telbec/ - The departure today of Air Canada
flight AC033 onboard Air Canada's new flagship Boeing 777 aircraft marks the
launch of the only daily non-stop flights between Canada and Sydney,
Australia. The new non-stop routing from Vancouver, with an elapsed time of
approximately 15 hours southbound and 14 hours northbound, shaves more than
three hours off the previous one-stop routing via Honolulu. The carrier's
daily, one-stop service from Toronto to Sydney and non-stop flights from
Vancouver have been timed for a vast array of time saving connections to and
from points throughout North America and Australia.
    "We are delighted to offer our customers the fastest and most convenient
way of travelling between Canada and Australia, as well as the highest quality
of long haul service and amenities with our flagship Boeing 777 aircraft,"
said Daniel Shurz, Vice President, Network Planning. "Today's launch is
significant, marking our seventh non-stop service to the Asia-Pacific region.
With daily, same-plane service from Toronto, and non-stop flights from
Vancouver, we are able to leverage Air Canada's extensive international and
North America route networks via both our Toronto and Vancouver hubs."
    Air Canada flight AC033 departs Vancouver at 23:45, arriving in Sydney at
09:50 two days later due to time zone differences. On December 16th, Air
Canada's inaugural flight departs Sydney at 11:35, arriving in Vancouver the
same day at 06:40.
    Air Canada 777-300ER aircraft are configured to provide a choice of
42 Executive First Suites and 307 seats in Economy Class, and the new
777-200LR that will be operated on the Sydney route starting in February, 2008
will be configured with 42 Executive First Suites and 228 seats in Economy
Class. Air Canada's new in-flight product features industry-leading in-flight
amenities including lie-flat beds in its international Executive First cabin,
and is the first North American airline to offer the comfort and privacy of
lie-flat beds in business class. All customers onboard will enjoy digital
quality personal seatback entertainment systems with 80 hours of video and
50 hours of audio on demand, as well as standard 110 volt electrical outlets
at every seat in Executive First and within reach of every customer in Economy
Class.
    Air Canada currently flies eight 777 aircraft (five 777-300ER, and three
777-200LR), and will take delivery of an additional ten 777 aircraft in 2008
and 2009. Air Canada is the first North American carrier to operate these
aircraft types.

    Montreal-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 14th largest commercial airline in
the world and serves more than 32 million customers annually with a fleet
consisting of more than 340 aircraft. Air Canada is a founding member of Star
Alliance, providing the world's most comprehensive air transportation network.