X-Nico

16 unusual facts about Air Canada


Airbus affair

The Airbus affair refers to allegations of secret commissions paid to members of the Government of Canada during the term of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (1984–93), in exchange for then-crown corporation Air Canada's purchase of a large number of Airbus jets.

Airfone

Bell Mobility used the Airfone technology on Air Canada flights, but brands its service Skytel (no relation to the Verizon-owned paging firm of the same name).

Bryce Bell

For the passenger of Air Canada Flight 143, see Gimli Glider

David Tsubouchi

He received an Air Canada Heart of Gold award in 1988, and was granted a coat-of-arms from the Canadian Governor-General's office in 1993.

Denis de Belleval

In September 1980, de Belleval announced that the Quebec government had purchased an eleven per cent stake in the Nordair airline and was supporting efforts from a group led by Quebecair president Alfred Hamel to purchase Nordair from Air Canada.

Eddie Morten

In August 2004, Morten asked his travel agent to book him a flight from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Francisco, California, but was told that the airline, Air Canada, would not allow him to fly without an attendant because he is deaf and partially blind.

Grant, Ontario

The airfield became in the late 1930s part of a string of emergency landing sites for Trans-Canada Air Lines (today Air Canada) to support their transcontinental flight operations.

Ici RDI

Ici RDI provides news, business, weather and sports information on Air Canada's inflight entertainment as well as being seen in five major Canadian airports as RDI express.

James Valitchka

Valitchka has partnered with Air Canada, The Honourable Lincoln Alexander, Educate With Vision, Rosemary Sadlier, The Ontario Black History Society, HUB International, Herbert Carnegie Future Aces, Judge Stanley Grizzle (his godfather)to launch his Literacy Can Change Lives National Student Conferences.

Julian Simmons

Simmons' career in broadcasting began when he appeared in amateur drama productions in Belfast while working for Air Canada at their offices in the city.

Lufthansa Center

The office complex hosts the Beijing offices of Lufthansa, Air Canada, Vermilion Partners Ltd and several other leading international firms.

Max Pacioretty

Additionally, Air Canada threatened to remove its sponsorship if the league does not take any action to prevent further violence on ice.

National Airlines Council of Canada

It was founded by Air Canada, Jazz Air LP, WestJet and Air Transat, and officially incorporated on September 4, 2008.

Norman Yeung

His films have screened at international film festivals including Calgary International Film Festival, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, The Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, on Movieola Channel, Mini Movie International Channel (Europe), and on Air Canada.

Victor Ward

Ward worked for Air Canada for several years, eventually retiring and returning to Springhill.

Wildcat strike action

On March 23, 2012, Air Canada ground employees suddenly walked off the job at Toronto Pearson International Airport, resulting in many flight delays, after three workers were suspended for heckling Canadian Labour Minister Lisa Raitt.


Antigua

The island's single airport is served by several major airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, US Airways, American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Caribbean Airlines, Air Canada, WestJet and LIAT.

Emergency landing

A famous example is the Gimli Glider, an Air Canada Boeing 767 that ran out of fuel and glided to a safe landing in Gimli, Manitoba, Canada on July 23, 1983.

James Armstrong Richardson, Sr.

The later company, Canadian Airways was instrumental in creating a transcontinental air system that was eventually incorporated into the fledgling Trans-Canada Air Lines (that became Air Canada).

Richard Jacobson

Partnered with Laura Fernandez, Jacobson has produced major commercial illustration and design work for Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Air Canada.

Rural Municipality of Gimli

In the Gimli Glider incident on 23 July 1983, an Air Canada Boeing 767 en route from Montreal to Edmonton ran out of fuel and made an unpowered landing on a decommissioned runway (having been used as a drag strip) at Gimli Industrial Park Airport, a former RCAF base near Gimli with no control tower and no fire trucks available.

Stevie Cameron

The book raised questions about the ethics of former Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his alleged involvement in secret commissions paid by Karlheinz Schreiber to members of the Government of Canada, and to Conservative-linked lobbyists, in exchange for then-crown corporation Air Canada's purchase of 34 Airbus jets.

Texas Air Corporation

By the early 1990s the company had been split up, with parts sold to Scandinavian Airlines System, Ross Perot's EDS (Electronic Data Systems), and an Air Canada-led investment group.

Unity Rally

Canadian transportation corporations and companies, such as Via Rail, Canadian Airlines, Air Canada and Coach Canada, in addition to multiple travel agencies and hotel operators throughout the country, offered massive discounts on travel to Montreal for the weekend to participate.