MONTREAL, March 1 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada today announced that it will
operate its first new Boeing 777 aircraft on key routes serving Europe, Asia
and the South Pacific. As the airline begins introduction in April 2007 of the
first of eight new 777 aircraft to be delivered in 2007, Air Canada customers
will experience the world's most advanced widebody aircraft on select Air
Canada services: Toronto-London Heathrow (beginning in April),
Toronto-Frankfurt and Toronto-Tokyo (beginning in June), Vancouver-Tokyo
(beginning in July) and Toronto-Hong Kong (beginning in August).
    In addition, effective December 14, 2007, Air Canada will introduce daily
non-stop service between Vancouver and Sydney, Australia using its new 777
aircraft. Air Canada thus becomes the only airline offering non-stop service
between Canada and Australia.
    "The introduction of 777 service featuring Air Canada's new in-flight
product on these key European, Asian and South Pacific routes places Air
Canada on the forefront of North American carriers offering the highest
quality of long haul service and amenities," said Sean Menke, Executive Vice
President and Chief Commercial Officer. "With the arrival of the 777, we are
thrilled to introduce the only daily, non-stop service between Canada and
Australia, our seventh non-stop destination in the Asia-Pacific region.
    "We are equally proud to be the only North American carrier to offer
customers the comfort and privacy of first class lie-flat beds, at a business
class price. The deployment of these highly fuel efficient and
customer-friendly 777 aircraft on select Air Canada services to London,
Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney raises the bar in comfort and
convenience in air travel while leveraging Air Canada's extensive
international and North America route networks via our Toronto and Vancouver
hubs."
    Air Canada has timed its new Vancouver-Sydney non-stop service to offer
customers a vast array of time saving connections to and from points
throughout North America and Australia. The carrier's new non-stop routing,
with an elapsed time of approximately 15 hours southbound and 14 hours
northbound, shaves more than three hours off the current one-stop routing via
Honolulu. Air Canada flight AC033 will depart Vancouver at 23:45, arriving in
Sydney 09:50 two days later due to time zone differences. Effective December
16, 2007, AC034 will depart Sydney 11:35, arriving in Vancouver the same day
at 06:40. Air Canada's Star Alliance partner, Air New Zealand, will codeshare
on this service.
    With the introduction of non-stop service to Sydney, the carrier has
suspended near-term plans to operate flights to Australia via Los Angeles in
view of the lack of necessary authorizations at this time to operate the
route.
    Air Canada's 777-300ER aircraft are configured to provide a choice of
42 Executive First Suites and 307 seats in Economy Class and the new 777-200LR
that will be operated on the Sydney route from February 1, 2008 will be
configured with 42 Executive First Suites and 228 seats in Economy Class.
Customers will enjoy industry-leading in-flight amenities on all 18 of the new
777 aircraft that Air Canada has on order, creating a consistent fleet-wide
in-flight product, in conjunction with the carrier's major refurbishment
program of its existing fleet now underway. In addition, Air Canada has
14 Boeing 787 aircraft on order that will begin delivery in 2010.
    Air Canada's new in-flight product features lie-flat beds in its
international Executive First cabin, the only North American airline to offer
the comfort and privacy of lie-flat beds in business class. All customers will
enjoy digital quality personal seatback entertainment systems with 80 hours of
video and 50 hours of audio on demand, as well as standard 110 volt electrical
outlets at arms reach.

    Montreal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air
transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 150 destinations on five
continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 14th largest commercial airline in
the world and serves 30 million customers annually with a fleet consisting of
335 aircraft. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, providing the
world's most comprehensive air transportation network.
    %SEDAR: 00024384EF