Air Canada celebrates Montreal with gala event

Air Canada welcomed hundreds of attendees to a gala event in Montreal earlier this week, complete with a star-studded line-up of guests – including the carrier’s new B787 Dreamliner.

In front of an audience of nearly 1,000, the carrier organized a memorable gala evening to remind Montreal of how important the city is in its expansion strategy and to allow guests to visit the flagship of its fleet, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the centerpiece which will support the future growth of the company. Among the guests of honour were Just For Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon serving as master of ceremonies; the mayors of Montreal, Ville Saint-Laurent and Dorval; representatives of Tourism Montreal and the metropolitan area business community and Chef Jérôme Ferrer.

"It is with enthusiasm and pride that we celebrate our presence in Montreal," said Calin Rovinescu, Air Canada's president and CEO, "a city renowned for welcoming aviation entities like Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney, ICAO or Air Canada. Montreal is, for us, one of our major hubs that allows us to connect our domestic network in Quebec and Atlantic Canada to our connections to the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and soon North Africa. Each week, we coordinate 2,100 departures and arrivals to and from YUL with the goal of reaching 2,400 flights this summer."

This summer, capacity from Montreal will increase by 27 per cent compared to the same period last year, an increase of 98 per cent in just three years.

These figures are impressive to James Cherry, president of Aéroports de Montreal.

"I would like to thank Air Canada for its continued support of Montreal-Trudeau Airport. Last year, we welcomed 15.5 million passengers, a new record. Your company is no stranger to success," he told Rovinescu.

In 2015, Air Canada carried 7.6 million passengers in YUL, up 7.2 per cent from 2014. The airline flies from its main base in Quebec to 79 destinations worldwide, including 24 in Canada, 18 in the U.S., 25 in the south and 11 in Europe.

In 2016, six new destinations will be launched to further develop the network with routes to Hamilton, Lyon, Philadelphia, Houston, Denver and Casablanca (Air Canada’s first foray into Africa), along with capacity increases to Paris, Athens, Barcelona, ​​Nice and Venice.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre expressed his enthusiasm for Air Canada’s involvement and influence on the economic development of his city:

"I have always fought, even before being mayor, for a maximum of direct international routes to Montreal because it can greatly stimulate the economy of our city and also throughout Quebec. Air Canada is a driver for this, as one of the largest employers in Montreal, with all the benefits it brings to our local economy. Now we will have Lyon, Casablanca, Denver, Houston, Philadelphia ... It's great for business and for the flow of tourists passing through Montreal. In 2015, we received 9.6 million such visitors according to the latest figures from Tourism Montreal. An exceptional year.”

Investing in the future

The flagship of Air Canada’s fleet rewnewal, the Boeing 787-8, was on site for guests to visit during the event.

In an interview with PAX, Rovinescu emphasized the importance of the aircraft in the carrier's plans for continued growth.

"These results stem from a transformation orchestrated over five or six years’ time,” he told PAX, “when we decided to expand our network internationally, to more efficient markets. We have since launched lines like Dubai, Delhi and we will soon be serving Brisbane, Seoul and many others. For many of these links, the Dreamliner is very timely because it directly supports this desire for expansion with a smaller aircraft than the Boeing 777, allowing us to launch routes with a capacity that takes into account the size of our market. Air Canada rouge has also enabled us to rapidly increase our profitability.”

As for the recent order of Bombardier’s CS300 series aircraft, the CEO said that it will gradually replace the carrier’s Embraer 190 aircraft with use on some transcontinental routes.

Accompanied by François Choquette, director of specialized sales for Quebec, PAX visited the brand new Boeing 787-8 before it was stormed by the guests. With three classes, the aircraft improves passenger comfort in all cabin categories.

Of course, the Business Class offers very inviting seats, convertible into beds and embedded in a kind of personal capsule. They offer very large screens for entertainment and all the connections necessary for travellers’ devices. Small details make the difference, too; a Nespresso machine is exclusive to this cabin.

The new Premium Economy cabins, in a 2-3-2 configuration, are also very comfortable. This category provides two checked bags, exclusive dining options and access to Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge.

Economy class likewise proposes new thinner seats for more legroom; note that the first five rows offer even more space for a fee.

All these new configurations are also being deployed on Air Canada’s Boeing 777.

One of Air Canada’s Boeing 787 pilots spoke about the benefits of the new aircraft.

"In addition to lower fuel consumption and a high operating range, the cabin is illuminated with adaptive light, requires less pressure and has humidifiers. It really is a great new tool for an airline," he said.

PHOTO: Gilbert Rozon, founder, Just For Laughs; Calin Rovinescu, president and CEO, Air Canada; Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre; James Cherry, president, Aéroports de Montreal.