Air Canada Expands Onboard Email and Internet Services Fleet-Wide

 Following a very successful type trial, Air Canada today announced that it will offer its customers onboard email and Internet services throughout its fleet. With today's announcement, Air Canada becomes the first airline in North America to deploy the service. Air Canada has signed a letter of intent with Seattle-based Tenzing Communications Inc., a global communications provider, to install the system across its fleet starting in the fall 2001.

"We are very pleased with the customer feedback from our type trial. Our passengers were very enthusiastic about the service and told us that they considered onboard email and Internet a key element in determining their choice of airline," said Calin Rovinescu, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, at a news conference at Le Bourget Airshow in Paris today. " We look forward to offering this convenient and cost-effective product throughout our fleet of aircraft. Our decision to deploy the system reflects our commitment to offer today's connected air travellers the most innovative and modern in-flight capabilities. It is also indicative of our objective to use leading-edge technology to better serve the evolving travel needs of our customers," Mr. Rovinescu added.

Air Canada's in-flight email and Internet services allow customers to send and receive emails and to browse a selection of business and general life- style focused web content via their own laptop computer. Travellers access the service through Bell Mobility's existing on-board communications system available in all classes of service. The necessary software, supplied by Tenzing, is compatible with PCs, Macs and Personal Digit Assistants.

Exactly one year ago today, Air Canada and Tenzing signed their first memorandum of understanding to test the system. In November 2000, Air Canada became the first carrier in the world to offer the system to its customers on a free trial basis. Based on the overwhelmingly positive customer feedback, the airline decided to go ahead with the implementation of the system across its fleet.

"We congratulate Air Canada for becoming the first North American carrier to deploy email and web services over the next few years," said Alan Pellegrini, President and Chief Operating Officer at Tenzing Communications Inc. "Tenzing provides both airlines and their passengers with the most economic and comprehensive in-flight connectivity service and we are pleased to help Air Canada's customers make their flight more productive with access to email and web content."

The onboard email and Internet system is currently installed on five Boeing 767 aircraft operating on select North American routes and will be deployed gradually throughout Air Canada's fleet starting in the fall 2001. In the meantime, customers can continue to use the service on the five equipped aircraft at no charge. The deployment of the system will be completed by the end of 2003.