Air Canada plans to fly non-stop between Vancouver and Melbourne, Australia, four times per week between December 1 and February 4, the airline announced May 3.
These will be the first ever non-stop flights between Canada and the southern Australian city.
Air Canada also announced a second new route out of Vancouver International Airport (YVR) this winter. Air Canada’s Rouge brand will fly non-stop twice each week to Orlando December 20 through April 8 in what will be competition to WestJet.
The new flights mark a continuation of the trend of Canadian airlines contributing to YVR's significance as an air hub.
While Air Canada’s flights to Melbourne will be on Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner aircraft, Rouge’s flights to Orlando will be on Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft.
“Air Canada is continuing its strategic, global expansion with a diverse range of exciting new non-stop routes this winter including new routes to Australia and the United States from YVR,” said Benjamin Smith, president, passenger airlines at Air Canada.
“Vancouver-Melbourne is our third route to Australia, in addition to year-round service to Sydney and Brisbane.”
He added that his airline’s seasonal Melbourne service will provide new options for business travellers between North America and Australia as well as Australians seeking a Canadian winter vacation experience.
“The addition of Vancouver-Orlando offers a new choice for travellers looking to escape the Canadian winter, and we also look forward to welcoming Florida residents onboard for convenient access to some of the best skiing in North America,” Smith said.
Air Canada has expanded its Vancouver presence in the past year with new intercontinental routes to locations such as Brisbane, Australia; Delhi, India; and Dublin, Ireland. It has also added new routes from Vancouver to U.S. cities, such as Dallas, Boston, San Diego, San Jose and Chicago.
YVR estimated that the two new routes announced May 3 will contribute $2.5 million in wages, $1.4 million in taxes and $4.4 million to B.C.’s gross domestic product.
