Air Canada’s Inaugural Amsterdam-Montreal Route Takes Off

Air Canada completed its inaugural Montreal to Amsterdam flights yesterday, with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner using sustainable aviation fuel.

Coinciding with the launch of Air Canada’s second route from Amsterdam to Canada, the airline is further advancing initiatives in its Climate Action Plan by expanding its partnership with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) producer Neste in Europe to now incorporate Neste MY Sustainable Aviation FuelTM in some of its flights at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Use of SAF could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 80%* over the fuel’s life cycle, compared to use of conventional jet fuel. This reduction is calculated based on a full lifecycle assessment.

“We are thrilled to launch our new, non-stop service between Amsterdam and Montreal for summer 2023, which complements our year-round flights between the Dutch capital and Toronto. The start of our flights between Montreal and Amsterdam also marks our first SAF supply in Europe and demonstrates the value of this proven technology. Along with the entire Canadian aviation industry, we believe Canada should invest in SAF production and call upon government and other stakeholders to make this a priority,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada.

“For Air Canada, the expansion of our partnership with Neste to supply our first flight from Europe with SAF means that we are taking a step further and offering more SAF through our Leave Less Travel Program on a book and claim basis, further supporting our journey towards our ambitious 2050 net zero emissions goal,” concluded Mr. Rousseau.

Air Canada’s flights between Montreal and Amsterdam are operated on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft featuring three classes of service. The five times weekly flights for Summer 2023 complement Air Canada’s year-round flights between Toronto and Amsterdam. With up to double daily flights between Canada and Amsterdam from two of Air Canada’s global hubs, customers on both sides of the Atlantic have convenient choices to visit and explore each other’s continents.

* When used in neat form (i.e. unblended) and calculated with established life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, such as CORSIA methodology.

International Services
Air Canada’s international services onboard widebody aircraft offer a choice of three cabins: Air Canada Signature Class featuring lie-flat individual pods, Premium Economy featuring larger seats with additional leg room and premium services, and Economy featuring complimentary Chef-inspired and designed meals, wines, and beverages. All cabins have award-winning inflight entertainment screens at every seat with hours of complimentary onboard entertainment and the opportunity to purchase wi-fi connectivity. Additionally, all Air Canada Aeroplan members have free texting onboard wi-fi-equipped aircraft.

Air Canada has 27 Maple Leaf Lounges located in North America and worldwide for eligible customers.

Air Canada’s onboard services on international flights include some of the best cuisine Canadian culinary talent has to offer with Air Canada’s panel of celebrity chefs, including renowned Montreal chef Jérôme Ferrer and award-winning, Vancouver-based chefs David Hawksworth and Vikram Vij. Complementing the culinary journey is a selection of top wines chosen by leading Canadian sommelier, Véronique Rivest.

By becoming Aeroplan members, customers will have the opportunity to collect and redeem points with Aeroplan, Canada’s leading loyalty program, when travelling with Air Canada, and eligible customers have access to priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounges, priority boarding and other benefits.

Air Canada’s Leave Less Travel Program
Air Canada’s Leave Less Travel Program offers corporate customers and cargo freight forwarders with opportunities to offset or reduce GHG emissions related to their business travel or cargo shipments. With the addition of Amsterdam as a SAF supply location, Air Canada can now uplift SAF at Schiphol Airport as it does at San Francisco International Airport. Through a book and claim solution, Air Canada can transfer the environmental attributes of SAF to corporate partners, even if they are not physically connected to these supply sites.