Air Canada has inaugurated its two newest non-stop services to Calgary and Vancouver as it moves to expand its presence at Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport.

The two routes, launched Sunday and Monday respectively, will connect the provincial capital with Calgary four times a week and Vancouver three times a week.

David Rheault, Vice-President of Government and Community Relations at Air Canada, noted,

“Our recovery is well underway, customers are returning and we’re happy to offer new popular destinations to better connect Quebec and Western Canada. Quebec City, Calgary and Vancouver have a lot to offer and share. These new services will meet the growing demand from the Quebec City market for travel to Western Canada, while at the same time allowing tourists from Western Canada to discover and enjoy Quebec City, one of the most famous destinations in the country, with its important cultural and historic sites.”

Air Canada Quebec City Inauguration
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony for the two new flights, Jean-Yves Duclos, Member of Parliament for Quebec, celebrated the importance of the route for driving business across the province. Photo: Air Canada

Additional information

The seasonal routes are set to increase capacity during an anticipated busy summer season and will run through to the end of October. Services will be operated by the airline’s low-cost subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge, utilizing its fleet of Airbus A319 narrowbodies.

The full flight schedule is as follows:

AC 1873 – Quebec City to Calgary – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday

Departs 10:45 EDT, Arrives 13:20 MDT

AC 1872 – Calgary to Quebec City – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday

Departs 14:35 MDT, Arrives 20:48 EDT

AC 1871 – Quebec City to Vancouver – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Departs 09:55 EDT, Arrives 12:19 PDT

AC 1870 – Vancouver to Quebec City – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Departs 13:45 PDT, Arrives 21:42 EDT

Rheault added,

“Our recovery is well underway, customers are returning and we’re happy to offer new popular. Air Canada’s diversified schedule demonstrates its commitment to Quebecers and its desire to better serve the Jean Lesage International Airport, a long-time partner. Our leadership and unique extensive network will stimulate the recovery of the travel and tourism industry.”

Air Canada has been increasing its presence in Quebec City over the previous few months, having launched services to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando back in December, as well as increasing its frequencies to popular holiday destinations Punta Cana and Cancun.

Air Canada, Cargo Boeing 767, Frankfurt Airport
The airline's cargo subsidiary, Air Canada Cargo, has recently taken delivery of two dedicated Boeing 767-300F aircraft for its European-bound routes. Photo: Air Canada

Further expansion

If the Easter period is anything to go on, it looks to be a busy summer season for the Canadian flag carrier as it re-establishes its network post-pandemic. Through the Easter weekend, the airline carried over 100,000 passengers for the first time in two years.

In its Q1 earnings call last week, Air Canada reported revenue in the first three months of 2022 was over five times higher than the same period in 2021. The carrier operated around 65,000 flights, a sharp increase from 22,100 the previous year.

Despite the bounce back, airline executives have warned rising fuel prices and decreasing business demand could potentially hit the airline, and the Canadian aviation industry, harder than expected.

Like many airlines, Air Canada is attempting to soften that blow by launching cargo services, having recently purchased two additional dedicated Boeing 767-300F aircraft to support its growing transatlantic cargo network. Twice-weekly scheduled services to busy European cargo hub, Frankfurt, are expected to also begin this month, with additional services to Cologne and Istanbul once a week and Madrid three times a week.

Have you flown with Air Canada out of Quebec City? What other destinations would you like to see the airline add? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Air Cargo News