Air Canada at a glance
Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services in the Canadian market, the Canada-U.S. transborder market and in the international market to and from Canada. In 2019, it was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance™, providing the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network.
Air Canada’s predecessor, Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), inaugurated its first flight on September 1, 1937. The 50-minute flight aboard a Lockheed L-10A carried two passengers and mail between Vancouver and Seattle. By 1964, TCA had grown to become Canada’s national airline; it changed its name to Air Canada. The airline became fully privatized in 1989. Air Canada shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:AC), and effective July 29, 2016, its Class A variable voting shares and Class B voting shares began trading on OTCQX International Premier in the U.S. under the single ticker symbol “ACDVF”.
Air Canada Cargo business
Air Canada Cargo, the freight division of Air Canada, provides services within Canada and to major cities around the world. In March 2020, it re-engineered its business model from primarily transporting cargo in the belly of passenger aircraft to launching cargo-only flights, including temporarily modifying several widebody aircraft to double cargo capacity. To date, Air Canada Cargo has completed over 11,000 cargo flights, thus playing a valuable role in maintaining the global supply chain, and providing critical capacity that allows medical supplies, food, and consumer goods to reach communities around the world.
In late 2021, dedicated Boeing 767-300ER freighter aircraft will join the Air Canada fleet to provide consistent capacity on key air cargo routes such as Toronto to Miami, Quito, Lima, Mexico City and Guadalajara, with more routes being added as additional aircraft enter service.
Air Canada Cargo’s robust network connects through its main hubs in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
Safety Policy
In alignment with our Flight Path behaviour of Safety First, Always, Air Canada – in partnership with its employees – will conduct its business in a manner that ensures the health and safety of its employees, customers, the general public, its contractors, agents, subsidiary, and associated companies while meeting its obligations under all applicable regulations.
We will accomplish this by providing adequate resources for a Safety Management System, which ensures:
- Active involvement of management, employees and Safety and Health Committees.
- Continual development, monitoring and improvement of effective safety practices.
- Appropriate training and education programs.
- An inspection and audit process that provides feedback and results in timely corrective action.
- A safety performance system that provides timely feedback to all employees.
- A commitment to the communication and promotion of safe work practices and processes.
Rebuilding our global network to reconnect friends and families, as well as business
As travel restrictions ease across the globe and following the Government of Canada’s announcement to reopen international borders, Air Canada is committed to rebuild its network. With its industry-leading CleanCare+ bio-safety protocols, the airline has health and safety as its overriding priority.
Domestic network
Air Canada continued serving every province during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in the summer of 2021, launched a robust schedule serving 50 cities across Canada that enables Canadians to conveniently connect with friends and families, and support the country’s tourism, hospitality and business sectors.
U.S. transborder restart
Air Canada’s proud tradition of being the largest foreign carrier in the U.S. is reflected in its transborder schedule with 55 routes, 34 U.S. destinations and up to 220 daily flights between Canada and the U.S. It plans to restore service to all 57 U.S. destinations previously served as conditions allow.
International network restart
Air Canada has resumed service to 35 international routes and 22 destinations from its Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver hubs, as well as from Calgary. It also launched a new route from Montreal to Cairo. Additional international routes will be added as conditions allow.
