AC Adds Western Capacity

[Airband]

2004-12-01 17:38 ET - News Release

AIR CANADA ADDS ADDITIONAL CAPACITY TO WESTERN CANADA FOR WINTER 2005

ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. subsidiary, Air Canada, has added capacity in Western Canada for winter 2005 to support a rise in customer demand as a result of increased activity in the petroleum industry, along with the growing popularity of Air Canada's new simplified fare structure. The new flights commence Jan. 10, 2005, and are available for sale today at aircanada.com, Air Canada reservations and through travel agents.

Daily non-stop service from Calgary-Fort McMurray will be introduced departing Calgary at 6:30 a.m., offering a convenient morning flight for corporate travellers. The return flight from Fort McMurray is timed for convenient mid-day connections with Air Canada's extensive network across Canada and the United States. Two additional daily flights between Calgary and Edmonton will also be added for a total of 16 daily flights to offer connections to and from Northern Alberta. All Calgary-Grande Prairie flights will be operated exclusively with Dash 8 aircraft, resulting in a significant increase in capacity on this route. In addition, effective Jan. 5, 2005, Air Canada will be adding an additional flight from Calgary to Toronto for a total of 10 daily flights.

Air Canada will also be adding one additional round-trip flight between Vancouver and Kelowna to offer connections from its Vancouver hub to and from the British Columbia interior during the peak ski season.

"We are pleased to add additional capacity in Western Canada to meet the demand generated by the current robust activity in the oil and gas industry," said Ben Smith, vice-president, planning, Air Canada. "We are also pleased to support the strong ski traffic into British Columbia for winter 2005."

Air Canada's simplified fare structure now offers five different types of fares for five different types of airline trips. Each fare category is priced according to its built-in benefits (flexibility, refundability, level of Aeroplan mileage accumulation, lounge access etc.), giving Air Canada customers the unique ability to select the specific fare category and benefits they need for the type of journey they are planning.