• Presented by the Federal Minister of Labour, awards recognizes airline's commitment to employment equity and a diverse workforce

MONTREAL, Nov. 27, 2023 /CNW/ - Air Canada is honoured to have been presented the Outstanding Commitment to Employment Equity award and the Sector Distinction award by The Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Federal Minister of Labour and Seniors, as part of the Employment Equity Achievement Awards announced recently. 

"Air Canada is proud to be a leading employer in Canada and a role model in the aviation sector for its advancement in the workplace of women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. We are honoured to be recognized with these awards, which reflect our strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion across all sectors of our airline," said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs at Air Canada.

This is the fifth year that the awards are presented, and this year marks the second time that Air Canada has been recognized.

For 2023, Air Canada received the following two honours:

The Outstanding Commitment to Employment Equity award, recognizing Air Canada's holistic strategy premised on the CARE approach encompassing Community outreach; Accountability; Representation; Engagement and Belonging. Air Canada's commitment to employment equity addresses all facets where the company can support DEI across the organization, to its customers and in the communities it operates in. The award also recognizes Air Canada's commitment to the BlackNorth Initiative CEO Pledge, its commitment to the International Air Transportation Association's 25 by 2025 initiative, and Air Canada's contribution to the Indspire scholarship program that supports Indigenous students enrolled in post-secondary aviation and aerospace engineering programs.

The Sector Distinction award recognizes that Air Canada is at the forefront of elevating under-represented peoples within the airline sector through initiatives such as its All-Black Flight to celebrate Black History Month, the airline's support of Pride events across the country, its community outreach in Indigenous communities and management training on unconscious bias and allyship, and its work to reduce gender barriers through increasing women in executive positions and promoting initiatives to foster diversity in STEM aviation careers.

The awards are based on Air Canada's 2022 Employment Equity Report, which focused on the airline's recovery from the pandemic and how it rebuilt its workforce with a focus on the customers' experience, employee's wellness and a renewed commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Other recognitions Air Canada has received for human resources, corporate culture, and employee engagement this year include:

• One of the World's Best Employers 2023 by Forbes for the fourth consecutive year.
• One of Canada's Best Employers 2023 by Forbes for the eighth consecutive year.
• One of "Montreal's Top Employers" for 2023 by Mediacorp Canada for the 10th consecutive year.
• One of the 50 Most Engaged Workplaces for Sixth Consecutive Year by Achievers
• Winner of the 2023 HRD Innovative HR Teams Award for Forward-Thinking HR Programs.

Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada's Aeroplan program is Canada's premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world's largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada's passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada aims to achieve an ambitious net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050. Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.

Internet: aircanada.com/media

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SOURCE Air Canada