AIR CANADA rouge ON TRACK
Air Canada rouge is on track to expand to a total of 23 holiday destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Florida and Las Vegas for its 2013-2014 winter season. In Toronto for a pre-inaugural event, Air Canada president and CEO, Calin Rovinescu said: “We are delighted with the response to Air Canada rouge’s inaugural summer season as it prepares for take-off July 1st. Our plans for growing the Air Canada rouge fleet are on track to serve more holiday destination markets where we can now compete on a more cost effective basis operating our new leisure carrier, while leveraging the strength of Air Canada Vacations.” Rovinescu continued: “Once Air Canada rouge completes its inaugural summer season to Edinburgh, Venice, Athens and a number of Caribbean destinations, its flying will expand southward for the winter to an additional 13 destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and select U.S. holiday markets.” Air Canada’s president and CEO praised Michael Friisdahl and his team at Air Canada rouge for “overcoming the complexity and challenges of launching a new carrier in record time with professionalism and an impressive sense of purpose” and he also congratulated the first Air Canada rouge inflight graduating class “who we expect will set an excellent customer service standard for vacation travel.” Rovinescu said that “as new Boeing 777-300ER and 787 aircraft enter the Air Canada mainline fleet, we intend to continue spooling up Air Canada rouge to reach a total of up to 50 aircraft. The growth of our leisure carrier, in tandem with the mainline fleet renewal and international network expansion, is a key element of Air Canada’s overall strategy for sustainable, profitable growth, both at the mainline and leisure carrier.” He noted that “with a renewed, more efficient fleet combined with our award-winning product, Air Canada will be well positioned to expand its mainline global network to new, higher business-demand destinations while Air Canada rouge profitably expands Air Canada’s presence on a lower cost basis in current and future leisure markets that present new opportunities.” Air Canada will take delivery of five new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for its mainline fleet between June 2013 and February 2014, and the first three of 37 Boeing 787 aircraft by the summer of 2014. Air Canada is scheduled to take delivery of seven 787 aircraft in 2014 and the remaining 30 between 2015 and 2019. As for Air Canada rouge, its July 1 start-up fleet will consist of two Airbus A319 aircraft and two Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. That fleet will grow to ten aircraft by the end of 2013 with the addition of six Airbus A319 aircraft by December 2013, and an additional four Airbus A319 aircraft by March 2014, for a total of 14 aircraft by the end of the 2013-2014 winter season. Go to http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/rouge.html for additional information.
