• Airline’s beloved Fan Flight program gives Canadians a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cheer on their favourite team at a live away game
• Air Canada is an Inaugural Premier Partner of the PWHL and Official Airline of the first six teams

MONTREAL, April 17, 2024 /CNW/ - The puck has dropped! Air Canada today announced the first Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) edition of its popular Fan Flight program, giving young fans a chance to cheer on their favourite teams in person at a game during the PHWL Finals.

"It's been an incredible first season for the PWHL, and as an Inaugural Partner to the new league, we're celebrating the amazing passion of its fans by bringing them closer to the playoff action," said Andy Shibata, Vice President, Brand at Air Canada. "Air Canada's Fan Flight is a beloved, long-running initiative, and expanding it to the PWHL demonstrates our passion for hockey and continued commitment to championing gender equality in sports."

The Air Canada Fan Flight program puts hockey fans right at the heart of the action and is one of the many ways the airline continually gives back to the community.

"We're delighted that Air Canada's latest Fan Flight will give passionate PWHL fans a chance to catch a live game during the inaugural PWHL Finals," says Jayna Hefford, Senior Vice-President, Hockey Operations, PWHL. "This partnership showcases the tremendous impact brands can have in sports. It's been a record-breaking year for our league and we're excited that this Air Canada program further highlights the incredible achievements and potential of our athletes."

The PWHL has been smashing attendance records, with the game between PWHL Toronto and PWHL Montréal at Scotiabank Arena on February 16 attracting a sold-out crowd of 19,285 – the best-attended women's hockey game of all time. The April 20 game at Montreal's Bell Centre, with a hockey capacity of over 21,000, is projected to set a new record after selling out in minutes.

Canadians can go to aircanada.com/fanflightpwhl and follow instructions to nominate a passionate PWHL young fan who deserves a chance to win. The online contest is open until May 3rd. Winners will enjoy complimentary airfare, accommodation, and tickets to a game during the PWHL Finals, and more surprises!  

Air Canada announced its historic partnership with the PWHL last December with an inspirational ad campaign titled "We All Fly." The PWHL agreement also builds on Air Canada's prior partnerships in professional women's hockey, and in women's sports including with the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the planned Project 8 professional women's soccer league in Canada.

For more information on taking part or winning a spot on the Air Canada PWHL Fan Flight, visit aircanada.com/fanflightpwhl.

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. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. 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.

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprised of six teams in Boston, Minnesota, Montreal, New York, Ottawa, and Toronto, each with rosters featuring the best women's hockey players in the world. Visit thepwhl.com to purchase tickets and merchandise, and subscribe to the PWHL e-newsletter to receive the latest league updates. Follow the league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus all six team accounts @pwhl_boston, @pwhl_minnesota, @pwhl_montreal, @pwhl_newyork, @pwhl_ottawa, and @pwhl_toronto.

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SOURCE Air Canada