Air Canada: enhanced service on regional Eastern & Western routes

This morning, Air Canada announced a series of changes to its regional Western and Eastern routes.

READ MORE: Air Canada getting rid of single-use plastic this summer

The airline will boost capacity on key regional routes across Western Canada this spring, as it deploys more state-of-the-art Bombardier Q-400 Next Gen aircraft. The changes are part of an ongoing transformation of Air Canada Express that will result in enhanced services for customers.

Enhancements in the west

The new Q-400 aircraft are quieter and more fuel-efficient than the previous aircraft.

"We are pleased to deploy it to more communities in Western Canada as we further strengthen our regional network to optimize all significant connections between our extensive regional and global markets," said Mark Galardo, vice president, network planning at Air Canada. "With our varied and flexible fleet, we are also adding frequencies to our Vancouver-Anchorage and adding capacity to our Calgary-Winnipeg route with larger Airbus aircraft in response to demand."

Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz Aviation LP are scheduled to provide convenient, point-to-point travel, as well as easy connections to Air Canada's extensive domestic, US and international network at Vancouver and Calgary. 

Increased services this summer peak compared to last year include:

Eastern expansions

Over in Eastern Canada, Air Canada is upgrading Air Canada Express regional aircraft to larger Air Canada Rouge aircraft with inflight amenities on its flights from Toronto to Fredericton, Moncton and Thunder Bay, and from Montreal to St. John's.

The larger Air Canada Rouge jets which offer a choice of two cabins, wi-fi and in-flight entertainment streamed to personal devices.

"We are pleased to add more travel options to and from Newfoundland and Labrador by increasing capacity on our flights to St. John's via our Montreal hub which offers excellent connections to and from our extensive North American and global network," Galardo said. "With our varied and flexible fleet, we are also adding capacity to our popular Calgary-Halifax seasonal flight with larger mainline Airbus A320 aircraft, with connections in Calgary conveniently linking eastern and western Canada."

In December 2018, Air Canada officially unveiled its 23rd Maple Leaf Lounge in Canada at St. John's International Airport. 

The Maple Leaf Lounge in St. John's is the only lounge available to travellers departing from YYT and has the capacity for up to 84 guests. With 77 per cent more space than the lounge it is replacing, the 46 additional seats provide visitors with a spacious and relaxing environment.

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