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Airline Highlights: Air Canada

Jul 26, 2013

Welcome to a new occasional series highlighting the airlines that serve RDU. Over the next few weeks, we’ll give you an overview of the commercial carriers at RDU. Afterwards, we’ll use this series to tell you about new flights and changes you can expect while traveling with our airlines, along with great new programs and amenities from our carriers.

[caption id="attachment_453" align="alignright" width="300"]The Air Canada livery includes the maple leaf. (Photo courtesy Air Canada, aircanada.com) The Air Canada livery includes the maple leaf. (Photo courtesy Air Canada, aircanada.com)[/caption]

Did you know that flying non-stop from RDU to Toronto (YYZ) has been possible since 1996?  Yes! Air Canada was the first international airline to provide non-stop service from our airport. Today, you can fly nonstop in less than two hours to Pearson International Airport three times a day via Air Canada Express. The airline currently uses 50-seat CRJ-100/200 planes.

Toronto-Pearson International Airport

One of two commercial airports in Toronto, here are some facts about Air Canada’s largest hub airport:

  • Named for Canada’s 14th Prime Minister
  • Located outside the city of Toronto in the suburb of Mississauga
  • A whopping 65-plus airlines serve the airport each day
  • Travelers can connect to more than 155 international destinations
  • Air Canada flights use Terminal 1, with 55 gates
  • All connections are inside the secure area within the same terminal

Where Can You Go?

Flights from RDU are timed for many connections throughout Canada and the world. Here are some of the one-stop connection possibilities:

  • Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal- Canada’s largest cities
  • Deer Lake, Halifax and St. John’s- For North Atlantic island hopping
  • Quebec City- For a taste of French Canada
  • Edmonton, Ft. McMurray- For viewing the famed Northern Lights
  • North Bay, Thunder Bay, Timmins- To get off of the beaten path
  • Edinburgh, Zurich, Copenhagen- Great European connections
  • Barcelona, Rome, Istanbul and Tel Aviv- Warm Mediterranean destinations

 About The Planes

Here are a few cool facts about the CRJ-100/200 aircraft that fly the RDU-YYZ route

  • The first one joined the Air Canada Fleet in 1994
  • The plane flies up to 490 miles-per-hour
  • It can fly up to 35,000 feet high
  • Each seat is 17-inches wide

A Few More Things…

And, just a few more things to know about flying via Air Canada to Toronto:

  • When returning home, you clear U.S. Customs in Toronto. When you arrive back at RDU, you come to the gate just like any other domestic flight.
  • Air Canada has been named Best International Airline-North America by Skytrax for the past four years straight
  • All Air Canada flights bear an image of the maple leaf on the plane’s tail. This is the national symbol of Canada.

What are you waiting for? Book your flight to Toronto and beyond, now!