Airline has six-year agreement to transport all seven Canadian hockey teams

MONTREAL, Sept. 23, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada is proudly doing its part to lift a Canadian team to a Stanley Cup victory as this year's hockey season gets underway. Beginning this month, the airline will carry all seven Canadian teams under six-year agreements to provide air transportation through Air Canada Jetz, the airline's in-house, all-Premium charter service operated by mainline Air Canada pilots and flight attendants.

The six-year agreements begin at the start of the 2015-16 season and cover the Montreal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Winnipeg Jets, the Calgary Flames, the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. In addition, the Toronto Blue Jays also have a six-year agreement with Air Canada. The services will be operated by Jetz, Air Canada's in-house charter carrier, which uses Airbus A319 aircraft outfitted with 58-Premium seats to offer extra legroom and a private jet-like experience.

"As Canada's flag carrier, we are very proud to have been drafted by all seven Canadian teams to carry them for the next six years. Hockey is an expression of our national identity and it connects all Canadians, roles Air Canada itself aspires to fulfill," said Benjamin Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. "Moreover, as an airline we prize our reputation for safety, reliability and comfort, and the fact all of Canada's top pro teams have chosen Air Canada is an endorsement of our services and products. With Air Canada Jetz, the teams will enjoy such amenities as all-Premium seating, dedicated mainline Air Canada crews offering specialized service, in-flight Wifi and the many other benefits familiar to Air Canada premium customers."

For high-resolution photos of Air Canada Jetz aircraft and information on Jetz service features please see http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/media/facts/photos_jetz.html

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 190 destinations on five continents.  Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2014 served more than 38 million customers.  Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 Canadian cities, 52 destinations in the United States and 78 cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,321 airports 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.  For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

SOURCE Air Canada