Air Canada Completes First of Five Flights Bringing Syrian Refugees to Canada

Air Canada has completed the first of five flights to be operated on behalf of the Canadian Government that will bring almost 1,500 Syrian refugees to Canada.

The first flight, AC1999 from Amman, Jordan arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport early Thursday morning.

Air Canada's second flight leaving Amman today (8 January), will be operated by the airline's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Klaus Goersch, as Captain of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Over the coming days, Air Canada and Air Canada rouge will provide a further four flights as part of the operations led by the International Organization for Migration in collaboration with Canadian authorities.

Two will depart Amman on 8 and 10 January 2016 with mainline Air Canada Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft configured to seat 298 passengers, and two more will depart Amman on 9 and 11 January 2016 with Air Canada rouge Boeing 767-300ER aircraft configured to seat 282 passengers.

All flights will arrive at Toronto Pearson International Airport with the exception of the flight on 9 January which will arrive at Montreal Trudeau International Airport.

"By next week, Air Canada will have brought close to 1,500 Syrian refugees to Canada to make a home and start a new life," said Marcel Forget, Air Canada's Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategy, in Amman to oversee the multi-flight airlift. "It's a tremendous honour to be part of this initiative. Air Canada has a long history of participating in international humanitarian missions and we certainly intend to continue supporting our Government's Syrian refugee initiative over the coming weeks and months."

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