Air Canada today announced it will begin non-stop flights between Vancouver and Manila next April.
It’s great news for people looking for vacations in southeast Asia, and for the Filipino diaspora in Canada and friends and family.
The announcement was made during the Government of Canada’s Team Canada Trade Mission currently in the Philippines, celebrating 75 years of Canada-Philippines diplomatic relations. This new service to Manila is Air Canada’s third South-East Asia destination launched in the last two years.
“We are thrilled to add Manila to our global network with new, year-round, non-stop service from Vancouver, Air Canada’s Pacific gateway hub,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning, and President, Cargo at Air Canada. “We continue to pursue our international network strategy of expanding to large, fast-growing markets that are presently unserved directly by Air Canada. The Philippines is an important market reflecting longstanding family ties between our two countries with growing business connections and tourism opportunities.
“With an extensive domestic and transborder network in Vancouver designed to connect seamlessly to our international flights, we are making travel between North America and the Philippines even more convenient for leisure and business travellers alike. It is with great excitement that we look forward to welcoming our customers onboard next spring,” Galardo said.
The Philippines. Pong Del Rosario/Pexels Photo
Air Canada is the only Canadian carrier scheduled to serve the Philippines, presently the largest market in Asia without direct Air Canada service. The new route will operate four times weekly beginning April 2, 2025, using the airline’s flagship Dreamliner aircraft. It will be Air Canada’s 12th route in its transpacific network from Vancouver, which includes Japan, South Korea, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, leveraging Vancouver’s geographic position as the closest major North American city to Asia.
With this new service, next summer Air Canada will offer more than 180 weekly flights between Canada and the Pacific, the most non-stop flights of any carrier in the market. This marks a continuation of Air Canada’s expansion into fast-growing markets into Southeast Asia, building off recent additions to Singapore and Bangkok, to more than double summer season seat capacity over the Pacific since 2022.
Flights from Canada to Manila can be purchased starting today on aircanada.com, through Air Canada’s contact centres, and via travel agents. Flights for bookings originating in Manila to Canada will be available for sale shortly.
PORTER BEGINS HALIFAX-FLORIDA FLIGHTS TODAY
Porter Airlines is inaugurating two new, nonstop routes between Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Florida this week, marking the first time the carrier has operated U.S. flights from the Nova Scotia capital.
Three-times weekly service to Tampa International Airport takes off today, December 5, while daily service to Orlando International Airport starts tomorrow, December 6. The carrier will have more service to Florida from Halifax than any airline over the winter season.
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Both flights are operated by the Embraer E195-E2. The 132-seat aircraft is configured 2-by-2, which means no middle seats for any passenger.
Passengers who fly with Porter enjoy free premium snacks, complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, and free, fast WiFi.
PorterReserve fares provide an all-inclusive economy experience, with fresh, healthy meals, premium cocktails, dedicated airport check-in, ticketing flexibility, early boarding, and more legroom.
