MONTREAL, May 26, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada welcomes the announcement today by the Federal Government of Canada permitting the expanded use of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) by travelers aboard aircraft during all phases of flight. Air Canada, Air Canada rouge and its Air Canada Express regional partners are finalizing measures to safely implement the new procedures so customers can enjoy greater use of their PEDs in non-transmitting mode while on the airlines' flights.

"Air Canada welcomes today's announcement expanding the use of PEDs on aircraft because it will enhance the travel experience. Our customers have been telling us they want the option to use their PEDs at all times on board our aircraft both for working and entertainment. Moreover, this change will bring our policies in line with those of other jurisdictions for use of PEDs on aircraft, eliminating uncertainty for customers. We appreciate Transport Canada's support of our efforts to implement these new rules safely and quickly," said Craig Landry, Vice President of Marketing at Air Canada. "This policy will complement our recent announcement that this month we have begun rolling out in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity across our North American fleet, the first Canadian carrier to do so. We anticipate 29 aircraft will be offering in-flight connectivity by yearend, with 130 narrow-body aircraft to be equipped to provide connectivity by the end of 2015."

PEDs include such devices as cellular telephones, electronic document readers, tablet computers and MP3 players. The changes do not permit the use of transmitting functions once the aircraft is in motion prior to take-off, meaning customers aboard aircraft will not be able to make cellular phone calls or otherwise send and receive wireless signals from outside the aircraft. Current safety restrictions on customers using headphones or earbuds not connected to the aircraft's In-Flight Entertainment system will also remain in effect.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 180 destinations on five continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2013 served more than 35 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 60 Canadian cities, 49 destinations in the United States and 73 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,269 destinations in 193 countries.  Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax that ranked Air Canada in a worldwide survey of more than 18 million airline passengers as Best Airline in North America in 2013 for the fourth consecutive year.  For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com.

SOURCE Air Canada