Air Canada Jazz Boosts Regional Jet Flying across Canada

Air Canada Jazz is boosting regional jet service to communities across Canada beginning with its summer 2005 schedule. With the addition of 15 Bombardier CRJ-705 aircraft commencing in May 2005, the regional carrier will grow to include 65 Canadian-built Bombardier regional jets.

"With the addition of more jet aircraft to the Air Canada Jazz fleet, we will be able to significantly enhance our customers' travel experience in communities across Canada," said Ben Smith, Air Canada's vice president responsible for network planning at Air Canada and Jazz.

"An expanded Air Canada Jazz regional jet fleet will allow us to realign our network to ensure that we deploy the right aircraft type to meet travel demand in each market we serve, while offering superior comfort, choice in non-stop markets served, and more frequencies that get our customers to their destination faster than ever before. In many cases, Dash-8 turboprop service will be replaced by jet aircraft. These enhanced Air Canada Jazz services complement Air Canada's growing network as the mainline fleet expands to incorporate six additional Boeing 767 widebodies and 60 state-of-the-art Embraer aircraft that will join the mainline fleet beginning this year."

Highlights of improvements to Air Canada's summer 2005 schedule include:

Charlottetown: Increase from two to three daily CRJ-200 flights to Montréal; and from one to two daily CRJ-200 flights to Toronto.

Moncton: Increase from three to four daily CRJ-200 flights to Montréal.

Québec City: Increase from 17 to 19 daily flights to Montréal; and from six to eight daily CRJ-200 flights to Toronto.

Thunder Bay: Increase from six to seven daily CRJ-200 flights to Toronto.

New all-jet service to Winnipeg operated using CRJ-200 aircraft.

Regina: Increase from two to three daily flights to Toronto featuring the new 75-seat CRJ-705, effective October. Reintroduction of daily non-stop flights to Vancouver with the CRJ-200 aircraft in April, increasing to double daily service by June. New all-jet services to Calgary and Winnipeg to be operated using CRJ-200 jets.

Saskatoon: Increase from three to four daily flights to Toronto featuring the new 75-seat CRJ-705, effective October. Reintroduction of daily non- stop flights to Vancouver with the CRJ-200 aircraft in April, increasing to double daily service by June. New all-jet services to Calgary and Winnipeg to be operated using CRJ-200 jets. 

With this realignment of Air Canada's domestic network using an expanded Air Canada Jazz fleet of jet aircraft, service will be provided exclusively by Air Canada Jazz in the following cities effective May 3, 2005: Charlottetown, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Québec City and Thunder Bay; and effective October 1, 2005 in Regina, Saskatoon and Whitehorse. Air Canada mainline employees in these cities will be offered employment options including transfer to other Air Canada bases, consistent with the provisions in their respective collective agreements.

Joseph Randell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada Jazz stated, "Jazz has served these important markets for many years and we look forward to strengthening our service and our presence in these communities. The realignment of Air Canada's domestic network is a key component in its business plan. This change increases the efficiency and strengths of the North American network while Air Canada pursues new international opportunities. The arrival of these new generation regional jets allows Air Canada Jazz to revolutionize service in many of our domestic markets just as the first generation of Bombardier CRJ-100 aircraft allowed Air Canada to do so in the Canada-U.S. transborder market almost a decade ago."

The CRJ-705 aircraft will be configured in two classes of service with 10 seats in Executive Class featuring three abreast seating offering 37 inches of legroom, and 65 seats in Hospitality with four abreast seating offering an industry leading 34 inches of legroom. Both cabins will feature all-leather seating and in-seat audio and personal television systems. The Bombardier CRJ-705 aircraft has a cruising speed of 880 km/h and a range of more than 3,500 km with a total payload of 7,778 kg including a cargo payload of 700 kg.

The Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft are configured to provide a single Hospitality class of service with 50 all-leather seats. The Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft has a cruising speed of 860 km/h and a range of up to 3,547 km with a total payload of 5,942 kg.

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