• First of a planned series of flights to assist Canadians returning home

MONTREAL, March 20, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada announced today that the airline, in collaboration with the Government of Canada, will operate a special flight March 21 from Morocco to bring Canadians home.

"We understand it's a challenging time for all Canadians who are still abroad and anxious to come back home. Our teams are working around the clock with the Canadian Government and offering our global reach to do everything we can to repatriate as many Canadians as possible, recognizing that we will not be able to assist all," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

Air Canada will operate a wide body aircraft, with 450 seats, from, Casablanca, Morocco to Montreal. Global Affairs Canada is coordinating local arrangements for Canadians wishing to return home.

Canadians abroad should contact local embassies and consulates for more information.

"We are doing everything possible to assist Canadians abroad to return home and we appreciate the support of Air Canada, which is providing its technical and operational expertise to help us. It is an excellent example of the type of cooperation and support the Government of Canada is encouraging in the face of this unprecedented public health crisis," said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Canadian Government has also announced that it will provide financial assistance for Canadians abroad directly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak to help secure their return.

It is important for those travelling to be reminded that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and members of their immediate family holding a valid travel document will be permitted to board these flights to Canada. All passengers will undergo a health screening before boarding the aircraft. Any passenger presenting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will be denied boarding unless they can present a medical certificate confirming any symptoms are not related to COVID-19.  Upon arrival in Canada, all passengers will be requested to self-isolate for a period of 14 days.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving nearly 220 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2019 served over 51 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 62 airports in Canada, 53 in the United States and 101 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,250 airports in 195 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2019 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.                                      

Internet: aircanada.com/media

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