Air Canada today commenced daily, non-stop service between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The new service is the third of four new routes Air Canada has launched from YVR this spring.
“Further competition on this route lowers fares, brings additional visitors to Vancouver, and strengthens business ties between our two cities,” said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. “The service brings more connecting passengers to our airport, filling our Asian flights and bolstering our position as a gateway between Asia and the Americas. I’d like to thank Air Canada for its commitment to growth at YVR.”
This spring, Air Canada has also added new non-stop flights from YVR to Brisbane; and San Diego and San Jose, CA. Combined, these new services will also add to the B.C. economy 490 jobs, $35.5 million in Gross Domestic Product and $15 million in wages.
“We are very pleased to launch daily flights between Vancouver and Chicago, complementing flights operated by our Star Alliance partner United Airlines,” said Ben Smith, President, Passenger Airlines at Air Canada. “We’re continuing to strategically expand our YVR hub, and our new flights to Chicago follow our recently launched new flights to Brisbane, San Jose, CA, and San Diego; the doubling of our flights to London Heathrow; with the launch of the only non-stop flights to Dublin and Delhi still to come.”
Passengers on flights to and from Chicago will fly on an Embraer E190 aircraft with seat capacity for 97 passengers – 9 in Business Class and 88 in Economy. Every seat has a personal, touch-screen TV with on-demand movies, TV and audio programs. The aircraft is equipped with Gogo Wi-Fi Internet service so travellers can stay connected from the sky.
The new flight, AC534, departs Vancouver at 1:55 p.m., arriving in Chicago at 7:44 p.m. The return flight, AC535, departs Chicago at 7 a.m., arriving into Vancouver at 9:40 a.m.
YVR’s new five-year rates and charges program, ConnectYVR, provides the lowest rates of any major Canadian airport and dramatically increases the airport’s competitiveness. Thanks to the program, new routes like Air Canada YVR to ORD are made possible.