Air Canada to Operate Six Special Flights to Barcelona, Lima and Quito This Week

Air Canada is to operate six special flights from Barcelona, Lima and Quito this week, to enable Canadians stranded abroad to return home.

The flights, operated in collaboration with the Canadian Government, are part of Air Canada's ongoing efforts to repatriate Canadians.

"Several hundred Canadians trapped in Peru, Ecuador and Spain since the imposition of restrictive travel measures by the authorities will finally be able to return home," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada. "Air Canada remains fully mobilized dealing with this global health crisis and we have committed to keep operating internationally, transborder to the U.S. and across Canada to allow people to return to Canadian soil as quickly as possible and transport important shipments of goods, including emergency supplies. I thank all our employees for their ongoing commitment, particularly our crews which are directly working on these flights, to bring Canadians home safely."

Peru

Air Canada will operate three flights between Toronto and Lima. The first departure from Canada scheduled for today, 24 March, will also take back Peruvians who wish to return home.

Two other special flights from Lima to Toronto are currently scheduled for 26 and 27 March. The flights will be operated by a wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft with 400 seats.

Ecuador

Flights from Quito to Toronto will begin 25 March on a wide-body Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767 with 281 seats.

Spain

On 25 March, a flight will depart Barcelona for Montreal on a wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 297 seats.

Canadians abroad must register with Global Affairs Canada to obtain a seat on one of these special flights. Travellers are also strongly encouraged to contact the local Canadian Embassy or sos@international.gc.ca if urgent assistance is required.

Reduced Network

Despite a substantial reduction in its network, Air Canada has, over the past week, brought more than 200,000 Canadians back on its scheduled international and transborder flights.

By the end of March, it plans to have operated more than 300 flights from international airports and more than 850 flights from U.S. airports.

 Air Canada has also announced that it intends to maintain a limited number of transborder and international flights from selected Canadian cities after 1 April 2020 to maintain a number of "air bridges" to facilitate essential travel and ensure the continued movement of emergency supplies and other vital goods.

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