Desi Today Magazine
JUST in time for Diwali festivities, Air Canada has introduced the only non-stop flights from Vancouver to Delhi beginning October 20 and this was a cause for celebration on Thursday night as Air Canada officials met with media and travel agency representatives to celebrate this momentous development. The flights had been announced last April.
The seasonal, three-times weekly flights complement Air Canada’s Toronto-Delhi non-stop service launched last fall. Air Canada is also launching a new, weekly service between Toronto and Mumbai three times a week, starting July 1, 2017.
Benjamin Smith, President Passenger Airlines at Air Canada, had noted: “Customer response to our Toronto-Delhi service has been extremely positive, and with this new seasonal Vancouver route, we are strategically increasing our presence in the important Asia-Pacific market in time for Diwali festival celebrations. Our non-stop Dreamliner flights from our Vancouver hub will also offer the shortest elapsed flying time from Calgary, Edmonton, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles to Delhi. … Together with our extensive western Canada domestic and western US transborder network combined with the seamless connection experience through YVR’s US in-transit pre-clearance facilities, position YVR to be the preferred gateway hub for trans-Pacific travel to and from North America.”
Air Canada is the first North American carrier to offer Premium Economy services that feature priority boarding, check-in and baggage handling in addition to a separate, spacious cabin with premium meal and beverage services.
All Air Canada flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits.
* Flight AC72: from Vancouver (YVR) to Delhi (DEL) – Departure 9:40 p.m. / Arrival 1:20 a.m. (+2 days) on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
* Flight AC 73: from Delhi (DEL) to Vancouver (YVR) – Departure 6:30 a.m. / Arrival 6:55 a.m. on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Due to Daylight Savings Time, DEL arrival / departure timings will be one hour earlier during the following periods: October 21 – November 6, and March 12 – April 8.
Air Canada has optimized connections to and from the carrier’s extensive Western Canada and Western U.S. network through the airline’s Vancouver hub, and in Delhi, Star Alliance partner Air India offers excellent connectivity across the Indian subcontinent.
In reply to a question from the media on Thursday about a direct flight to Chandigarh or Amritsar from Vancouver or Toronto, Kevin Howeltt, Senior Vice President, Regional Market and Government Relations, said that this question had been put to him a couple of times earlier too, and added that Air Canada officials were not aware of those routes. He said that in future they could talk with the governments of India and Canada and if they gave them the thumbs up, Air Canada would love to grab these profitable routes.
