Air Canada’s inaugural flight, AC037 Boeing 787 Dreamliner service, departedÊVancouverÊDecember 1Êin the late evening and arrived Sunday morning to a water cannon welcome salute atÊMelbourne’sÊTullamarine Airport. This arrival marks the only non-stop service linkingÊCanadaÊandÊMelbourne, Air Canada’s third destination served inÊAustralia. Seasonal service now operates four times weekly betweenÊVancouverÊandÊMelbourneÊuntilÊFebruary 4, and year-round service beginsÊJune 1, 2018.
“We are delighted to welcome customers onboard our flights toÊMelbourne, our newest destination in Australia.Ê Our seasonal service will be of particular interest to Australians travelling for a Canadian winter vacation and North Americans travelling to enjoyÊAustralian summer season.Ê The launch of year-round service next June will provide additional options for business and leisure travellers between our two continents,”
saidÊBenjamin Smith, President Ð Passenger Airlines at Air Canada.
“Our Melbourne flights complement our daily flights fromÊCanadaÊtoÊSydneyÊand toÊBrisbane, solidifying our market-leading position as the airline providing the most service betweenÊCanadaÊand Australia.Ê The seamless connections through in-transit pre-clearance facilities combined with our extensive domesticÊCanadaÊandÊUSAÊnetwork at ourÊVancouverÊhub positions YVR to be the preferred trans-Pacific gateway for business and leisure travellers travelling betweenÊNorth AmericaÊandÊAustralia.
“We have a lot to celebrate at YVR this month. With the new Air Canada services toÊMelbourne, passengers have even more travel options this winter season,”
saidÊCraig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority.
“We are also thrilled that Air Canada has announced year-round service toÊMelbourne, prior to the start of the seasonal service. This is an incredible achievement for our airline partner and showcases Air Canada’s commitment to growing their transpacific hub at YVR.”
“AirÊCanada’sÊlandmark service is the first of its kind to fly fromÊMelbourneÊtoÊCanada, opening up unprecedented access toÊNorth America,”
saidÊSimon Gandy, Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation.
“We also know Canadian inbound tourism toÊAustraliaÊis on the rise with forecasts expecting a 10.2 percent increase in visitation in the next two years, growing from 162,000 travellers in 2016/17 up to 179,000 in 2018/19. It’s the perfect time to launch this service and we look forward to welcoming Air Canada’s year-round service inÊJune 2018.”
AirÊCanada’sÊstate-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft features 30 International Business Class lie-flat seat suites, 21 Premium Economy and 247 Economy Class seats with upgraded, and personalized in-flight entertainment at every seat throughout the aircraft.Ê Flights are timed to optimize connectivity to and from Air Canada’s extensive North American network through the airline’sÊVancouvertrans-Pacific hub, while also offering inÊMelbourne, excellent connectivity in Australia.Ê 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 | From | To | Days of Operation | Depart | Arrive |
| AC037 | Vancouver (YVR) | Melbourne (MEL) | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat | 10:45 p.m. | 09:45 a.m. +2 days |
| AC038 | Melbourne (MEL) | Vancouver (YVR) | Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun | 11:40 a.m. | 07:30 a.m. |
