Air Canada to Launch Non-Stop Toronto-Delhi Service, Only Non-Stop Link Between North America and India
MONTREAL, July 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Effective October 26, 2003, Air Canada
will commence daily non-stop service between Toronto and Delhi, the only non-
stop air link between North America and India. The new service will shave at
least three hours off traditional best routings offering travellers the
convenience of early arrival times that allow for connections to many key
onward destinations. Flights will be operated using state-of-the-art 282-seat
Airbus A340 aircraft featuring Air Canada's recently redesigned premium
Executive First service. To promote its new non-stop flights Air Canada is
offering a special introductory fare until July 17, 2003 for travel until
November 30, 2003 starting as low as $1,599.
"We are delighted with the prospect of starting non-stop service to Delhi
featuring a convenient schedule that offers travellers the option of same day
connections to their final destination," said Senior Vice President,
International & Alliances, Ross MacCormack. "This new route will create the
only non-stop air link between North America and India providing our customers
with the fastest elapsed time between Toronto and Delhi. With the added
comfort of Executive First service and the possibility of convenient
connecting flights, our new non-stop Delhi service will be particularly
attractive to business travellers. This new service is consistent with our
strategy to profitably redeploy aircraft while capitalizing on market
opportunities."
Air Canada's schedule has been designed to ensure maximum convenience and
a great choice of connecting flights to and from key Canadian, U.S. and Indian
destinations. Air Canada flight AC051 leaves Toronto at 1715 and arrives in
Delhi at 1745 the next day with convenient connections to Mumbai (Bombay),
Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Bangalore and Colombo. From Delhi, AC052 leaves at
0110 and arrives in Toronto at 0610 the same day providing customers
convenient connections on Air Canada's extensive network throughout North
America.
Tickets are now available for purchase online at aircanada.com, through
travel agents and by calling Air Canada Reservations.
Well, first, let's see If they will still be in business
They tried it If I remember well in 1999 and it failed, how wonder what will be the result now.
Captaingomes From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 6413 posts, RR: 58 Reply 1, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 4292 times:
Wow, this is interesting news. I got this in my email too. Canada 3000 wasn't too successful in this route, and if you are correct, then Air Canada failed previously as well. If it's the only North American direct service, then obviously those who were flying direct to India before have abandoned it too.
What has changed that could make it viable today?
"it's kind of like an Airbus, it's an engineering marvel, but there's no sense of passion" -- J. Clarkson re: Coxster
Yow From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 4281 times:
AC's old Delhi service used to stop in LHR. For 1 summer in the mid-90s the route to Delhi actually went Ottawa-Montreal-Heathrow-Delhi with a 763. Pax from YYZ and YVR had to connect in LHR.
Artsyman From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 4741 posts, RR: 43 Reply 4, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 4255 times:
Continental start flying EWR>DEl non stop in October. What is th sudden rush to fly this routing ?
Donder10 From Canada, joined Oct 2001, 6659 posts, RR: 23 Reply 5, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 4240 times:
Is there that much demand to pay a premium for a non-stop flight when there are so many connections available through Europe adding on about 3-4 hours?
Spyderz From Canada, joined Apr 2001, 651 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 4215 times:
Just what an airline in bankruptcy protection wants to do - open a new high risk venture that is composed of mainly low-yielding passengers. This type of route is a high-risk, high-reward type venture and could ultimately be the symbol of Air Canada's future. If I remember correctly, wasn't C3's India routes from Toronto via London, while the non-stop flights were from YVR, or was the via LHR to Bombay. Bit suprised that the route will start-off as a daily one, but maybe if it does suceed, we could see it expanded from YVR in the long-run.
SafeFlyer From Canada, joined Jan 2001, 621 posts, RR: 5 Reply 7, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 4187 times:
Flights will be operated using state-of-the-art 282-seat
Airbus A340 aircraft
I wonder, they should be re-configuring an A340-300 for that route because I believe the current config seats 295. Or will they be putting the A340-500? For sure, more than one a/c will be needed for a daily service and introducing the A345 on that route would avoid having payload restrictions maybe?
United777 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1648 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 4180 times:
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! But that is only good for East Coast travelers. There is no benefit to people in Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco. I hope there is non-stop flights from west coast North America in the next five years.
I wonder if UA will launch it's ORD-DEL flight which was planned before 9-11.
I really think CO will launch EWR-India flights very soon!
FrankyA340 From Canada, joined Nov 2000, 42 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 4170 times:
Talk about deja vu. Canada 3000 launched the same route with their a340 weeks before liquidation....
And why is the stock at a buck sixty? It can't all be day traders and short coverers. Do you think the market is predicting a successful emergence from CCAA. I doubt it highly, shares will be diluted to nothing soon.
Captaingomes From Canada, joined Feb 2001, 6413 posts, RR: 58 Reply 12, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 4101 times:
Spyderz, the C3 India flights were in fact via the UK, but originally they were to be non-stop YYZ-India. I believe they did operate some non-stops, but I'm sure somebody here can correct me on that. In any event, with the war on terrorism, demand slipped and the direct routing brought them over Afghanistan.
"it's kind of like an Airbus, it's an engineering marvel, but there's no sense of passion" -- J. Clarkson re: Coxster
Travellin'man From United States of America, joined May 2001, 530 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 4083 times:
United 777,
Actually it's not so bad for West Coasters. 5 to YYZ and then how many to India, maybe 12-14? That's actually better than let's say LAX to LHR to India. The AC flight will go over the pole. I could be wrong, but it seems to be an advantage, certainly better than flying LAX-NRT-Singapore then Delhi.
It is not enough to be rude; one must also be incorrect.
Yyz717 From Canada, joined Sep 2001, 15989 posts, RR: 59 Reply 15, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 3991 times:
The C3 India sked was a weekly nonstop YYZ-DEL 343 and YVR-DEL 343, and a weekly YYZ-LGW-BOM 332. At least that was the plan. Flights began mere weeks before C3 went under. I thnk no more than a handful of India flights occurred.
Panam, TWA, Ansett, Eastern.......AC next? Might be good for Canada.
Jaysit From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 3733 times:
You guys seem to be forgetting that Canada has a very viable market source just south of its border, i.e., the United States. With connections through Toronto, the entire United States is within reach, especially the lucrative North East and mid-west. if nearly 70% of Lufthansa's 21 weekly 744s into India is traffic headed to and from North America, you can see how Air Canada can make this work for them as well.
UN_B732 From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 4286 posts, RR: 5 Reply 18, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 3719 times:
starting as low as $1,599?!?!?!
Isn't that a little expensive for coach.
SafeFlyer From Canada, joined Jan 2001, 621 posts, RR: 5 Reply 21, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 3606 times:
To QB737 Tried to book it on their website and this is the reply I get...
We can't identify the arrival city you requested. Please check the spelling or select a city from the list provided
Umm, I also tried it and had absolutely no problems getting the advertised fare for most dates in late Oct and Nov. And as for the response you get: «We can't identify the arrival city you requested», you must have typed in the wrong airport code because even before this fall scheduled flights by AC, they have a codeshare with LH on the route with a daily run on a 744 by LH.
United777 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 1648 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 3539 times:
Travellin'man -
I dont' think west coast North American passengers don't see any benifit. I travel to India from Seattle once a year. I fly mostly to Seoul with Asiana to India but I have also connected in YVR, SFO and LAX to Asia in the past and I would see no point flying to Toronto for a non-stop flight to Delhi when I could fly to Delhi with one stop flights to Delhi from the west coast.
I think AC should launch non-stop Vancouver-Delhi also but maybe not daily.
Connector4you From Canada, joined May 2001, 921 posts, RR: 2 Reply 23, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 3483 times:
I would agree with you United777. Unfortunately AC have chosen once again the crowded (competition wise) East Coast. I am pretty sure that somebody else will soon pick the tab from the best naturally positioned West Coast airports of Vancouver and Seattle.
So far the Aeroflot run from Seattle to Delhi via Moscow is by far the shortest and perhaps cheapest connection from the West Coast with state of the art B777 equipment all the way!
Strickerje From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 723 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (9 years 10 months 3 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 3458 times:
I'm also thinking that the West coast sees no benefit from this service. I'll use the example of Seattle, since it's the closest West coast U.S. city to Delhi. I'm not sure how the connection opportunities are, but in terms of distance only, connecting in ICN or NRT is the shortest way. Even connecting in LHR is shorter than going through Toronto. Since the West coast has such a concentration of people, I think a non-stop flight from LAX, SFO, SEA, or YVR to DEL could succeed.
I'm thinking this'd be a good route for Northwest to serve from SEA. They've got a significant presence there, and it's got the feed from Alaska's hub there. Unfortunately, the 747-400 is the only aircraft they have that'll make it, unless the A330 can do it.
25 FLYYUL: This flight will be so weight restricted.. Is it worth it, when you cant load bags/pax to the maximum? Mark
26 FutureFO: I just tried looking at the route on Aircanada.com and it it still shows the arrival city is unknown. Please check the Spelling.
27 Wolfy: Dear all, just for your info, the arrival city code should be DEL, and I just checked the loads for the first week and all flts to Delhi are half book
28 B747-437B: Four major unique selling points that Air Canada is counting on here : a) Connections within India An evening arrival (versus the late night arrival o
29 FLYYUL: The question is... will the weight restrict on the A340 be significant.. can AC still make money given a weight restrict? Mark
30 B747-437B: will the weight restrict on the A340 be significant.. can AC still make money given a weight restrict? With late night departures, the weight restrict
31 SafeFlyer: Mark, that is perhaps why they should finally take delivery of their A345 so they could fill them up to capacity plus benefit from good cargo loads.
32 Travellin'man: United 777 and Strickerje- Not to flog a dead horse, but I'm still not convinced that it's so bad for West Coasters, at least for us down South. What
33 QB737: Safeflyer. I was typing "DEL" I tried it again this morning and I get the same reply again. Ben
34 SafeFlyer: QB737: I don't understand, it works fine for me, tough I use the french version of the site.
35 QB737: Safeflyer; I tried it in both languages and I keep getting the same result. I cleaned my cache, removed all cookies, restarted the computer and I stil
36 Strickerje: OK, from Southern California, the difference between going through Asia and going through Toronto is less. For a comparison of the actual distance, a
37 Airmale: Do you think a 744 would work better on the service, that is if AC retain the 744 fleet? also why dont AC fly seasonal services to India, I know for P
38 B747-437B: Do you think a 744 would work better on the service, that is if AC retain the 744 fleet? AC are not retaining the 744 fleet, so this is a moot point.
39 Caribb: I wonder if they'll use the new polar routing? If so it will be more viable for West Coast travellers.. Perhaps this also makes it more economical as
40 Airmale: Flights between India and Pakistan are going to be resumed shortly.
41 Adh214: This seems like an excellent idea. A number of US companies are beginning to open operations in India to off shore operations as diverse as computer p
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