Two Additional Special Flights From Morocco To Take Place This Week

Air Canada announced today that, in collaboration with the Canadian Government, it will operate two more special flights from Morocco. These flights follow a successful special flight completed March 21 in which Air Canada brought 444 Canadians home from Morocco.

"We are working extremely hard 24/7 to bring thousands of Canadians home safely from around the world and we will continue to do so. Our priority at this time is to ensure that we can repatriate as many people as possible. Both on our own and with the Government of Canada and foreign authorities, we are working to organize these massively complex operations in the current global crisis. In the last week alone, we have brought more than 200,000 people back to Canada and we plan to keep operating flights to the end of March and beyond so Canadians continue to have a way home. I thank all of those involved for their tireless efforts in coordinating this initiative during these extremely uncertain and difficult times," said Calin Rovinescu, president and Chief Executive Officer at Air Canada.

These two additional flights are currently scheduled to operate on March 23 and 25 from Casablanca to Montreal with a 450-seat wide-body aircraft.

Global Affairs Canada is coordinating local arrangements for Canadians wishing to return home on these special flights. Canadians abroad are strongly encouraged to register with Global Affairs Canada. This will allow the Government of Canada to provide information to them as soon as it becomes available. For any emergency help you are encouraged to contact sos@international.gc.ca.

"The COVID 19 pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis in the global aviation industry that is already having a significant impact on the air transport industry, travellers, shippers and the economy. Right now, our priority is to help Canadians who are abroad to return to Canada. The Government of Canada is working with Air Canada to bring Canadians home from locations that are particularly challenging. I am pleased to see these flights beginning this weekend," said The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport.

"Ensuring the health and safety of Canadians, both at home and abroad, is our top priority. We continue to work around the clock to provide all assistance possible to Canadians abroad who are affected by COVID-19. As part of these efforts, we are collaborating with Air Canada to facilitate commercial flights for Canadians who want to return home," said The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the last week, Air Canada has transported more than 200,000 Canadians back home through its regularly scheduled operations across its international and U.S. network. Air Canada plans to operate more than 300 flights until the end of March from international destinations and more than 850 from the U.S., to enable hundreds of thousands more Canadians to return home.

(Source: Air Canada news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.aircanada.com