Emirates Airlines might have to wait before accessing Vancouver International Airport (YVR), but Air Canada is stepping up its presence.
Canada’s largest airline announced Thursday it would add new flights from Vancouver to Tokyo in 2011.
“Air Canada will double flights to Tokyo with the addition of the only daily, non-stop flight between Vancouver and Haneda Airport,” said Ben Smith, Air Canada’s executive vice-president and chief commercial officer.
The news was announced amid a trade mission to Asia that took transportation minister Shirley Bond and Gateway partners Port Metro Vancouver, Prince Rupert Port Authority, Canadian National Railway Co. (TSX:CNR) and YVR among others to Japan.
Last month, it was revealed that Ottawa’s unwillingness to allow UAE-based Emirates and Air Ethiad to expand their landing rights in Canada resulted in the eviction of Canadian Forces from its military base in the Persian Gulf.
That event was the latest amid a series of lobbying efforts by the business community to get Ottawa to adopt a “true” open skies agreement that would expand landing rights to more airlines (See “B.C. flogs air space case” – issue 1095; October 19 to 25).
The additional flights announced Thursday are largely the result of a major new international terminal at Tokyo’s Haneda airport.
Bond said Haneda’s new terminal would increase its capacity for airlines that fly through the Pacific Gateway and supports the provincial government’s goal to increase air traffic through YVR to 28.4 million passengers by 2020. In 2009, YVR moved 16.2 million passengers through its facilities.
The government said each time an Asia Pacific air service lands at YVR nearly 800 hours of employment are generated.
Bond said, “Vancouver International Airport has a significant competitive advantage as the ideal gateway connecting the Asia-Pacific region to North America and the world."
The minister’s trade mission takes her to Hong Kong and China next to meet with other airlines and promote Canada’s Pacific Gateway.