-- Convenient connections to and from North American destinations from carrier's YVR hub Air Canada today announced the addition of new, non-stop, seasonal flights between Vancouver and Auckland, New Zealand. Air Canada's flights to Auckland will operate four times weekly onboard the carrier's state-of-the-art flagship Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft beginning December 12, 2019 until the end of March 2020, subject to obtaining the necessary government approvals. Air Canada has also finalized a Memorandum of Understanding with Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand to pursue expanding its current alliance arrangement to strategically co-operate in the form of a Joint Venture, subject to Air Canada and Air New Zealand making the necessary filings, obtaining competition and other regulatory approvals and finalizing documentation. A deeper, more integrated partnership will provide greater customer choice, comprehensive benefits and an expanded trans-Pacific network. "We are delighted to add Auckland as we continue strategically expanding Air Canada's international network and increasing its presence in the Asia-Pacific market. The launch of Auckland service in December will be of particular interest to New Zealanders travelling for a Canadian winter vacation, and to North Americans travelling to enjoy New Zealand's vibrant multicultural urban and natural attractions during their summer season," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada. "We have timed our Auckland flights to conveniently connect at our YVR trans-Pacific hub to and from a multitude of non-stop destinations throughout North America including New York-Newark. Our Dreamliners featuring our Signature Service together with the seamless connections through in-transit preclearance facilities and competitive elapsed travel times, position Air Canada and YVR as a preferred trans-Pacific option for travel." "Air Canada and Air New Zealand already have a close partnership, having been codeshare and Star Alliance partners for more than 20 years. We look forward to deepening our relationship and optimizing our far-reaching trans-Pacific network co-operation, offering our customers a choice of more flights, connections and travel opportunities," added John MacLeod, Vice President, Global Sales and Alliances at Air Canada. New Zealand Minister of Tourism, Hon. Kelvin Davis, welcomed the new link. "This new non-stop service between Vancouver and Auckland will further deepen the connections between our countries and strengthen our tourism links. More and more Canadians are choosing to visit New Zealand to experience our culture, scenery and Kiwi hospitality. 71,000 Canadians visited New Zealand in 2018, staying on average for 19 days and making an important contribution to the New Zealand economy. In addition to tourism links, Canada is one of New Zealand's closest international partners. Both countries are members of the recently implemented CPTPP free trade agreement." "We are delighted that Air Canada, a leading global airline, has chosen to launch seasonal non-stop services between Vancouver and Auckland," said Adrian Littlewood, Chief Executive at Auckland Airport. "This flight will provide increased capacity and connectivity to New Zealand for Canadians, an important visitor source market, as well as a convenient way for New Zealanders to access Air Canada's extensive network that spans all of Canada and a significant number of cities in the United States." "The new flight will make it easier than ever for visitors from Canada to experience the huge range of activities New Zealand has to offer. Visitors from Canada are an important market for New Zealand, tending to stay longer and visit more regions than the average visitor and contributing over $250 million to the New Zealand economy," says Stephen England-Hall, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive. "We are thrilled Air Canada has added this new direct flight from Vancouver to Auckland," said Lisa Beare, BC Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. "Vancouver is a great place to start a made-in B.C. adventure and we look forward to welcoming more travellers from New Zealand to discover all that British Columbia offers in the winter and spring." "We are very excited to welcome Air Canada's new seasonal service to Auckland—a key destination that supports YVR's vision to be a world-class hub," said Craig Richmond, President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. "We have worked closely with Air Canada over the last several years, supporting their efforts to make YVR a premier trans-Pacific hub. This new service to Auckland, a great city with a vibrant culture and access to a broad range of tourism and business opportunities, will ensure we continue to connect North America to the world, driving economic benefits for our region." "It's terrific news for BC's tourism industry. Air Canada's new flights will help bolster our strong visitor economy by bringing even more visitors from the South Pacific to experience all that Vancouver and British Columbia has to offer," said Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of BC. Customers can collect and redeem Aeroplan Miles through Canada's leading loyalty program when travelling with Air Canada, and eligible customers have access to priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounges, priority boarding and other benefits. Flight Departs Arrives Days of Week AC51 Vancouver 23:45 Auckland 11:05 + 2 days Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday AC52 Auckland 14:40 Vancouver 06:40 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday Special introductory fares start as low as $1,387 CDN round-trip, all in, and tickets are now available for purchase at http://www.aircanada.com or through travel agents. The new Vancouver-Auckland route is one of three new routes announced today by Air Canada. In addition, new seasonal services were also announced between Toronto-Quito and Montréal-São Paulo. For more details please see: aircanada.com/media (http://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/about/media.html). About Air Canada Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving nearly 220 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2018 served nearly 51 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 63 airports in Canada, 56 in the United States and 100 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,317 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, which also named Air Canada the 2018 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: http://www.aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/aircanada) and join Air Canada on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/aircanada). Internet: aircanada.com (http://www.aircanada.ca) Isabelle Arthur (Montréal), Isabelle.arthur@aircanada.ca, 514 422-5788; Peter Fitzpatrick (Toronto), peter.fitzpatrick@aircanada.ca, 416 263-5576; Angela Mah (Vancouver), angela.mah@aircanada.ca, 604 270-5741 SOURCE Air Canada