First Air Canada Flight Arrives at The Queen's Terminal

MONTREAL, June 18, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The arrival of Air Canada flight AC856 from Toronto at 07:04 GMT marked the official move of all Air Canada flights and operations to London Heathrow Airport Terminal 2: The Queen's Terminal. The modern and spacious facilities of Heathrow Airport's new terminal provide customers with an improved travel experience including faster customs and immigration border control upon arrival and check-in and security clearance on departure. Eligible Air Canada and Star Alliance customers will have access to Air Canada's newest international Maple Leaf Lounge also offering a stylish and inspiring environment in which to relax or work before a flight.

"With over 20 daily Air Canada departures and arrivals, London Heathrow is our largest international operation," said Benjamin Smith, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada. "Now that all Star Alliance members are in a single terminal for the first time, our customers will benefit from more choice and easier connections across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We are pleased that these new state-of-the-art facilities will enhance our passengers' airport experience with efficient check-in flow, a minimal connecting time of 60 minutes and, for eligible customers, our very own Maple Leaf branded lounge showcasing the best of Canadian design and world-class amenities."

Air Canada check-in and baggage drop off are located in Zone A of the check-in lobby and offer the latest technology including quick and easy self-service kiosks, fast baggage drop-off and dedicated full-service check-in counters. The new terminal provides a wide variety of shopping, dining and seating options in a light, airy and spacious building.

For more information on Air Canada's operations at the new terminal please visit: http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/airport/heathrow.html

Air Canada's new 700 square metre Maple Leaf Lounge is located in Terminal 2B, adjacent to the Air Canada departing aircraft stands and gates. The lounge features a chef and a bartender to prepare meals and drinks upon request and provides a relaxing and comfortable start for eligible customers departing Heathrow on long-haul flights. The lounge, designed by Bennett Lo of Toronto-based Dialogue 38, is a showcase for Canadian products and artwork, and will serve Molson Canadian beer on tap.

Over the next six months all 23 Star Alliance member carriers serving Heathrow will progressively move to Terminal 2, offering Air Canada customers even more convenient connections to points throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa with its Star Alliance partners Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss International Airlines and Turkish Airlines, in addition to codeshare partner Aer Lingus.

Air Canada at London Heathrow

• Air Canada served more than 1,400,000 customers in 2013 at Heathrow Airport (LHR).
• In summer 2014, Air Canada will operate up to 77 round-trip flights each week between eight destinations across Canada and London Heathrow.
• Air Canada offers up to four direct flights a day from Toronto, and one each day from Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and St. John's NL.

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 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 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