Air Canada “got the keys” to its very first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner early in the morning on Sunday, May 18. After a small celebration at Boeing’s Everett Delivery Center near Seattle, Wash., a select group of Air Canada executives and employees boarded C-GHPQ (Fin #801), for the plane’s first flight to Canada. The trip to Air Canada’s main operational base in Toronto (YYZ) was a short three hours, 48 minutes at a cruising altitude of 41,000 feet.
Air Canada rouge 767-300 on final at YYZ. Photo: Tom Podolec
Written for Aviation Week & Space Technology – June 14, 2014
Like United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, Air Canada has experimented with low-fare […]
Air Canada’s first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was introduced to the media and Air Canada’s friends, partners and Aeroplan status members at a special event in Toronto on Tuesday morning. The aircraft sat gleaming in Hanger 7 of Air Canada’s Maintenance Base at Toronto-Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Not since the introduction of Air Canada’s first 747-100 in the early 1970s has a new aircraft type generated this level of interest and excitement.
Air Canada rouge is an "airline within an airline", and is part of the Air Canada Leisure Group along with inclusive-tour operator, Air Canada Vacations. The airline is positioned as Air Canada's "Leisure" carrier, intended to get passengers to their vacation destinations. Air Canada rouge launched last July 1st with flights from Toronto (YYZ) and Montreal (YUL) to Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the U.S.
Air Canada’s first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (C-GHPQ) had its initial test flight on April 22 at Paine Field (PAE), in Everett, Wash. The General Electric GEnx-1B-powered plane lifted off from Runway 16R at 4:03 p.m., in the shadow of Boeing’s massive widebody assembly plant. This initial test flight was unexpectedly short, and the plane returned to land at 4:22 p.m. The flight test crew then did a high-speed ground run northbound along Runway 34L before taxiing to the flightline ramp.
In Japan, April 1 is most certainly not April Fools’ Day. April 1 is actually the start of the financial year for Japanese companies. And along with this fiscal reset, April 1 is the day that groups of recent graduates begin their careers with a new company, a loyal relationship that may very well be life-long. This unique recruitment culture is called Shinsotsu.
In Part 1 of our story, you joined me for the arrival of ANA-All Nippon Airways' first flight to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the celebrations at the gate, and Flight NH 115’s departure for Tokyo-Haneda (HND). Soon after takeoff, our 767-300ER made a wide right turn, climbing across the Strait of Georgia before turning on course northwest-bound along the center of Vancouver Island.
ANA - All Nippon Airways’ first scheduled flight to Canada landed at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Sunday afternoon. The arrival of the Boeing 767-300ER from Tokyo International Airport - Haneda (HND) ushered in the option of a new airline and new destination airport for Tokyo-bound passengers who originate or connect in YVR.
YVR-Vancouver International Airport’s first scheduled Boeing 787 service began Monday morning with the arrival of Japan Airlines Flight #18 from Narita Airport (NRT) in Tokyo. The Dreamliner landed a few minutes ahead of its scheduled 10 a.m. (PT) arrival time, and was greeted at the gate by officials from Japan Airlines, the Government of B.C., the Government of Japan, the Vancouver Airport Authority, and Boeing.
This was going to be a great day for AirlineReporter.com's Canadian "Senior Contributor." That would be me! I was flying with a new Canadian airline in a brand new Canadian-built plane, traveling from a major Canadian airport over some stunning Canadian landscape, and visiting the headquarters of one of "Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures," which happens to be a major Canadian airline.
