From Air Canada boosting India service to new seasonal service to Singapore from Vancouver, words with Lufthansa’s new boss in Canada, and Porter unveiling a new, er, porter, here’s our latest eye on the sky report.
Air Canada enhances India
Air Canada has announced a strategic expansion of its India services, with additional flights from Toronto, and a new year-round, non-stop route between Montreal and Delhi.
Starting Oct. 31, just in time for Diwali celebrations, Air Canada will offer three flights per week to the growing Indian community in Montreal. Additionally, the airline is increasing frequency to Delhi from Toronto to 10 flights per week beginning Oct. 15. All flights will be operated with modern 298-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The carrier offers 10 flights a week from Vancouver.
“The Canada-India market is an important and strategic one for Air Canada. These additional flights and new route demonstrate Air Canada’s anticipation about the promise and growth of the Indian subcontinent – and we also look forward to further strengthening the cultural and business ties between our two countries,” said Mark Galardo, Sr. VP Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada, who added that in order to meet increasing demand, Air Canada plans to continue to grow its hub service to India from Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
Seasonal Singapore from YVR
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will begin four-times weekly seasonal service to Singapore from Vancouver starting on Dec. 3. Continuing until Feb. 15, the service is timed over the year-end holiday season and also reflects the inclusion of Canada and the United States under Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangements, under which eligible travellers can visit the Asian nation without quarantine.
SIA will operate twice-weekly Seattle-Vancouver-Singapore designated VTL flights (Tues., Fri.), with departures from Vancouver at 1315 hrs, and arrival in Singapore at 2205 hrs the following day.
The airline will also operate a twice-weekly Seattle-Vancouver-Singapore service (Thurs., Sat.) that is not a designated VTL flight, catering to customers who are ineligible to enter Singapore under the VTL arrangement.
Return flights will depart from Singapore at 0915 hrs (Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat.), arrive at YVR at 0730 hrs.
SIA will deploy the 253-seater Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which is fitted with 42 Business Class seats, 24 Premium Economy Class seats and 187 Economy Class seats, on the service.
Singapore Airlines operates year-round services to Singapore from Los Angeles, New York (JFK), and San Francisco.
Lufthansa confident in Canada
Lufthansa Group may have been quiet by necessity in Canada during the pandemic, but with the recovery “in full swing,” the German airline company maintains that it is committed to this country, which holds an important place in Lufthansa’s overall operations.
Speaking to reporters recently, Lufthansa’s new director of passenger sales for Canada, Brendan Shashouna, noted that LG carriers Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines continue to operate from Canada, with hopes that Brussels Airlines will return in 2022. The return of seasonal service from Edelweiss and Eurowings is also in the cards, plus more overall frequencies as the recovery continues.
With 34 flights currently, “Canada is a success story” for Lufthansa says Shashouna, noting that 28 weekly flights during the winter between Canadian hubs (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver) and Europe (Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna) will represent 75% of capacity from (pre-pandemic) 2019.
Highlights include:
• Austrian Airlines recently re-introduced its Montreal-Vienna route with three weekly frequencies
• LH’s Vancouver-Munich route will go year-round with three weekly frequencies for a total of 10 weekly flights to Germany from the west coast
• Toronto will be the first destination to welcome Lufthansa’s new 787-900 aircraft in 2022
• Calgary and Halifax (for the first time) will see flights to Frankfurt from Eurowings in 2022
• Calgary and Vancouver will also see the return service to Zurich with Edelweiss next summer.
• Canadians continue to use Europe as a gateway to onwards destinations (particularly VFR traffic), the most popular being Iran, Greece, Portugal, Egypt, and Lebanon.
Frank Naeve, Lufthansa Group’s VP of Passenger Airline Sales, The Americas, says consumer confidence is clearly returning, buoyed by the vaccine rollout (and the evolution of other health and safety protocols), coupled with pent-up demand. In Canada that has been further boosted by the re-opening of the Canadian border to fully vaccinated travellers on Sept. 7 (following Canadians’ acceptance into Europe in the summer).
And that confidence, which is most prevalent amongst leisure travellers, is expected to continue into 2022, he says.
Something brewing at Porter
Last, but not least, Porter Airlines and Beau’s Brewing Co. have launched a new co-branded porter-style beer, the Porter Porter – a dark beer with notes of espresso, chocolate, and vanilla. The malty dark ale is said to a have “a complex and flavourful character with a slightly dry finish.”
The new product is now being served to passengers as part of the carrier’s complimentary onboard service. The 473-ml tall cans will also be available at select LCBO locations, The Beer Store, and grocery outlets in Ontario, and grocery and dépanneurs in Quebec, later this month.
“This is a unique opportunity for Porter to introduce our brand to customers outside of airports and airplanes,” says airline exec Kevin Jackson.
Porter Porter cans (banner image) feature artwork collaboratively designed by Beau’s and Porter. The airline’s graphic raccoon brand mascot, Mr. Porter if prominently featuring sitting atop an aircraft wearing aviator goggles and a yellow scarf blowing in the wind while holding a glass of Porter Porter beer.
Porter announced award-winning Beau’s as its exclusive beer partner in August. A rotating selection of the Vankleek Hill, Ont. brewer’s products, including the Porter Porter and its flagship Lug Tread lagered ale, will be offered to passengers.