One of the first routes to offer Air Canada’s newest single-aisle aircraft the Boeing 737 MAX 8

SHANNON, 3 June 2018 – Air Canada inaugurated its non-stop seasonal service between Shannon and its Toronto hub, Toronto Pearson International Airport on Saturday 2 June with a celebration at Shannon Airport. The new route will be operated by Air Canada’s newest single-aisle aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX 8, with four flights per week until 13 October 2018.

Marking the occasion, the first inbound flight from Toronto was welcomed to Shannon Airport with a water cannon salute whilst customers, guests, Air Canada employees and crew joined Jackie Ellis, General Relations Officer at the Embassy of Canada, Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Kevin O’Connor, Air Canada Vice President System Operations Control, Bláithín O’Donnell, Air Canada Sales Manager Ireland and Andrew Murphy, Shannon Airport Managing Director, before the departure of flight AC821 to Toronto for a special gate celebration featuring swing and lounge music from entertainer Liam O’Brien.

“Our new non-stop service from Shannon to our Toronto hub provides both our leisure and business customers from Munster and Connaught with greater travel choice and the possibility to connect seamlessly to a range of new destinations in Canada, the US and beyond,” said Bláithín O’Donnell, Air Canada Sales Manager Ireland.  We are also delighted that this new route is opening up the West and South of Ireland – including the renowned Wild Atlantic Way – to the Canadian and U.S. markets, and look forward to welcoming new visitors this summer.”

Andrew Murphy, Shannon Airport Managing Director, said: “This new Air Canada Toronto service reflects the growing tourism and business links between this half of the island and, not least thanks to the fact that Toronto is a hub airport, Canada.  It amounts to a significant tourism opportunity for this region, with a strong demand in Canada for the unique offering on the Wild Atlantic Way, in particular, and what better way to access it than fly direct into the only transatlantic gateway in the region.  It is also an excellent outbound option, with Toronto one of the leading cities for culture and urban activity in North America and only two hours from the Niagara Falls. We will be doing our best to encourage people on this side of the Atlantic to take advantage of the service and enjoy a really special part of the world.”

 Welcoming the new Air Canada service, Jackie Ellis, General Relations Officer at the Embassy of Canada, said: “There are strong economic and cultural ties between Ireland and Canada so this new service from Shannon to Toronto is great news for both business and leisure travellers. The vibrant metropolis of Toronto, Canada’s largest city, can now be reached in just over seven hours and Canadian visitors can now easily explore the West and South of Ireland and all it has to offer.”

Shannon-Toronto flight schedule

*subject to change

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 operating the new Shannon-Toronto service features a two-cabin configuration, with 16 Premium Economy seats in the front cabin and 153 Economy seats – including 54 Preferred seats with additional legroom – in the rear cabin.

The Boeing 737 MAX

Air Canada has 61 firm orders for the 737 MAX. They are to be delivered by 2021, with 18 due to enter the fleet by the end of 2018. The Boeing 737 MAX brings advanced engine technologies to build on the strengths of the Next-Generation 737. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines to deliver high efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.

Features of the new aircraft include:

• The 737 MAX uses 20 percent less fuel per seat than the original Next-Generation 737
• The latest quiet engine technology for up to 40 percent less noise, meaning more peace and quiet for customers when flying
• Premium comfort and ambience with improved seats and innovative LED mood lighting along the ceiling
• An upgraded in-flight entertainment system with a sleek, new 15 language user interface, passengers will soon be able to stream video and audio to their own devices
• Faster Wi-Fi with the highest bandwidth available in the industry, to be available later in 2018
• Upgraded overhead storage space compartments offer additional space for every single passenger to bring a carry-on bag

Premium Economy

Air Canada Premium Economy offers seating with generous personal space, a greater recline and a next generation entertainment system featuring a personal touch-screen TV. Additional benefits include premium meals accompanied by complimentary wine and spirits, a generous baggage allowance – two checked bags up to 23kg each – as well as priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling.

Economy

Air Canada International Economy offers seating with adjustable, foldable headrests for a better sleeping position, in-seat power, a USB port, a complimentary hot meal accompanied by a selection of wines and spirits and a personal touch-screen TV with hundreds of hours of top-rated entertainment.

Air Canada in Ireland

Air Canada offers the best market coverage of any carrier between Ireland and Canada. In addition to its new non-stop seasonal service from Shannon to Toronto, Air Canada operates a year-round non-stop service from Dublin to Toronto and a seasonal non-stop service from Dublin to Montréal. Air Canada Rouge – Air Canada’s leisure carrier – also operates a seasonal non-stop service from Dublin to Vancouver. All flights are conveniently timed to connect at Air Canada’s hubs with an extensive network of services to destinations throughout the Americas. For more information and to book flights visit www.aircanada.com or call Reservations on 00 800 6699 2222.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada’s largest domestic and international airline serving more than 220 airports on six continents. Canada’s flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2017 served more than 48 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 airports in Canada, 59 in the United States and 98 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world’s most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,317 airports in 193 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2017 Best Airline in North America. Air Canada was also named the 2018 Eco-Airline of the Year by the respected airline industry publication Air Transport World for its commitment to emissions reductions. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook. 

About Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport is Ireland’s second-largest long-haul airport and the only one on the Irish western seaboard with direct services to/from North America, UK and Europe, giving international markets access into a catchment region that includes three of the country’s largest cities and major hubs of foreign direct investment – Cork (1hr 40mins), Limerick (25mins), Galway (60mins).  It is just 2hrs 30mins from the capital, Dublin.  From a tourism perspective, it is also the gateway to the world famous Wild Atlantic Way – a breathtaking, 2,500km coast road that offers some of the world’s most captivating scenery as well as the unique Irish culture and warm welcome.

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