Air Canada announced today the expansion of its international network with the addition of Bangkok, Thailand, the carrier's first non-stop service to South-East Asia. The airline will also be resuming flights to Mumbai, its second destination in the strategic India market. Air Canada's seasonal service to Bangkok will operate from its trans-Pacific hub at Vancouver International Airport, while the carrier's Mumbai flights will operate from Toronto via London-Heathrow. Both routes are subject to receiving final government approvals.

"We are extremely pleased to be launching our first non-stop service to South-East Asia this winter, the only one between North America and Thailand. Thailand is a popular leisure destination for Canadians and this new service will give Aeroplan members exciting opportunities to both earn and redeem their points. For further convenience, our Bangkok flights will connect to our extensive domestic and trans-border network giving customers added seamlessness and choice when travelling," said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management, at Air Canada.

"We are also excited to return to Mumbai, India's largest city and an important financial, commercial, and entertainment hub, complementing our 13 weekly flights from Canada to Delhi. Our Mumbai services are scheduled to operate with a stop in London Heathrow, offering connectivity to more than a dozen Air Canada and Star Alliance partner United Airlines flights between North America and London, as well as additional options for travel between the UK and India. The India market remains very important to Air Canada, and we are committed to resuming our currently paused non-stop services on Toronto-Mumbai and Vancouver-Delhi when circumstances allow."

The planned service between Vancouver and Bangkok, as well as between Toronto and Mumbai via London-Heathrow, will be operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft featuring three cabins of service for customers to choose from, including lie-flat seats in Signature Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.

Air Canada is bolstering its international winter offering to the South Pacific region with the return of seasonal service from Vancouver to Auckland, New Zealand, and additional flights to Sydney and Brisbane, Australia. Air Canada is also re-establishing international services to South America with the resumption of routes from Montreal and Toronto to Lima, Peru on a seasonal basis.

"We continue to pursue our strategy of expanding our global network in response to pent-up demand, and expect to operate approximately 81 per cent of our 2019 international capacity this winter. We look forward to welcoming our customers onboard," said Mr. Galardo.