• 1,000+ Team Canada athletes and delegation members will board Air Canada flights to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Airline's Flight Deck at Canada Olympic House Paris will showcase best of Canadian hospitality and culture, with a special Canadiana night at Canada Paralympic House Paris celebrating Team Canada.
• Punch Your Ticket Contest will connect Team Air Canada athlete ambassadors to passionate messages of support from fans at home.

MONTREAL, July 25, 2024 /CNW/ - Yesterday evening at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Air Canada hosted the official send-off celebration for Team Canada athletes and delegation members, now on their way to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games onboard a Boeing 777 complete with a special celebratory livery for Team Canada. In addition, plans are underway for the next send-off celebration, which will take place when the Team Canada athletes and delegation members for the Paralympic Games depart before the Opening Ceremony on August 28.

Air Canada will provide an exceptional travel experience for Team Canada to and from the Games, supported by its Going for Gold employee program, ensuring the athletes arrive rested and ready to compete at their best. The program involves the careful choreography of more than 250 Air Canada employees working across 20 branches and coordination of multiple airports throughout its global network, all working together to ensure a smooth and efficient travel experience for Team Canada.

"Team Canada represents the very best of who we are as a country and inspires all of us as Canadians to pursue our own dreams," said Andy Shibata, Vice President, Brand of Air Canada. "As we ramp up the celebrations for these remarkable athletes, Air Canada is thrilled to be

uniting Canadian fans in Paris, at home and around the world with a series of activations celebrating Team Canada's pursuit of their Olympic and Paralympic dreams this summer."

Bringing the best of Canada to the world

Designed to reflect the signature elements of aviation and showcase Canada's rich and vibrant culture, the Air Canada Flight Deck at Canada Olympic House in Paris will provide a space for hospitality, community and connection. The venue will play host to a series of events for both fans and athletes, featuring Canadian comfort food and beverages, and some of Canada's best musical talent, including Arkells and LOUD. The elements representing Canadian culture will also be featured in Team Canada celebrations at Canada Paralympic House in Paris during the Paralympic Games. 

Celebrating with Canadian fans in Paris, at home and around the world

Additionally, to help even more Canadians experience the excitement of the Games, Air Canada has teamed up with CBC-Radio Canada and Canadian icons France Beaudoin and Olympian Phylicia George. Together, they will report on the Games experience as they mingle with fans and athletes at the Air Canada Flight Deck and follow Team Air Canada athletes competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Audiences across Canada can watch all this action on CBC, Radio-Canada and all associated platforms.

To bring Team Canada and its fans closer together, Air Canada will launch the Punch Your Ticket contest to coincide with the Games opening ceremony. The contest will provide a platform for Canadians to share their messages of support to Team Air Canada Olympic and Paralympic athletes via social media while giving entrants the chance to win one of nine pairs of round-trip tickets to any destination where Air Canada flies.

Celebrating the power of dreams

The airline's inspirational new brand spot, Ticket to Dream, was released on social platforms on July 17 and will premiere on TV, cinema and online on July 26. The spot connects the stories of two generations of one Canadian family and honours the perseverance and resilience of Team Canada athletes on their journey to represent their country at the Games.

Through the Air Canada Foundation, which focuses on improving children's health and well-being, the airline is also bringing the excitement of the Games to children in hospital. Air Canada will also fly two young fans to Paris to meet their Team Canada heroes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games and be inspired by their stories of perseverance and overcoming adversity.

Proud to Fly the Flag as Official Airline for Team Canada

Air Canada is honoured to be the Official Airline of the Canadian Olympic Team since 1988 and Canadian Paralympic Team since 2007. As Team Canada's Official Airline for the next four Olympic and Paralympic Games, the long-standing partnership showcases the airline's ongoing commitment to sharing the best of Canada at home and around the world.

About Air Canada

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.

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