Air Canada is the national carrier of Canada. It celebrates its 70th birthday in 2007. The Star Alliance member operates around 200 aircraft, regional subsidiaries not included. In 2007, it was voted best airline in North America. Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz together offer flights to more than 240 destinations in the whole world.
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On April 10, 1937, Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA) was founded as a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway. TCA’s headquarters were set up in Winnipeg.
On September 1, 1937, the first flight was inaugurated: two passengers and mail were flown from Vancouver to Seattle in a Lockheed 10A.
In 1939, the first trans-continental service between Montréal and Vancouver took place. TCA grew rapidly and extended its network, even during WWII.
In 1949, headquarters were moved to Montréal due to federal policy.
In 1957, TCA ordered its first jets, DC-8s, at a time when they were still on the drawing boards.
By 1964, TCA had grown to become Canada’s national airline and was renamed Air Canada on January 1, 1965. The airline became a Crown corporation (state-owned company) in the late 1970s.
The first Boeing 747s were ordered in 1968, opening the long-distance market to Air Canada.
The airline became the first world-wide to introduce a strict non-smoking policy on all of its flights in 1987.
In 1989, the company was completely privatized. It was a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s first and biggest airline alliance, in May 1997.
In January 2000, Air Canada acquired the country’s second largest carrier, Canadian Airlines, whose planes, staff and routes were integrated into Air Canada. The result was the world’s 12th largest commercial airline.
In 2001, ACE Aviation Holdings, Air Canada’s holding company merged several minor airlines to Air Canada Jazz, which became a feeder and commuter airline for Air Canada, operating only domestic operations.
The merger, however, created immense costs. This, combined with a decrease in Business class customers, soaring fuel costs and the attacks of 9/11 led to a disastrous economical situation for Air Canada. During the first quarter of 2003, they lost almost four million dollars per day! On April 1, 2003, Air Canada eventually filed for bankruptcy protection. Cost-cutting measures were implemented, e. g. planes were grounded and staff was laid off.
The airline emerged from bankruptcy on September 30, 2004, 19 months later. In October of the same year, the company’s last 747s were grounded. For a short period of time Airbus A340s were used instead. Air Canada’s future long-haul fleet, however, will consist of Boeing 777s and Boeing 787s, the former being delivered from 2007, the latter from 2010.
On January 19, 2007, Air Canada was voted best airline in North America. Around 32 million people had flown with the airline in the previous year.
In 2007, the year of the airline’s 70th anniversary, Air Canada’s fleet consisted of around 200 aircraft with an average age of 9.7 years, remaining Canada’s largest airline and flag carrier. The airline, together with its regional operator Air Canada Jazz, provides flights to more than 240 destinations in the whole world from its main hubs Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary.
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