Air Canada (Montreal) has announced it will introduce a new International Premium Economy cabin for customers seeking enhanced comfort and service on international flights as it continues to modernize its widebody fleet with the addition of five new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft.

Complementing its Economy and Executive First options on international flights, Air Canada’s new Premium Economy cabin will offer customers a wide range of benefits including a dedicated cabin featuring larger seats that are wider, providing more recline, with seven more inches of legroom than Economy and are never more than one seat from the aisle (due to a 2-4-2 configuration).  Customers will also be offered premium meals with complimentary bar service and priority check-in and baggage delivery at the airport. More information on Air Canada’s new Premium Economy cabin is available at www.aircanada.com/premiumeconomy.

Air Canada’s Premium Economy cabin will be introduced on Air Canada’s Montreal-Paris flights effective July 11 , 2013.  Additional routes offering Premium Economy will be added over time as new aircraft enter the carrier’s mainline fleet.

Air Canada will expand and modernize its international widebody fleet with the addition of five new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. In addition to two Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft previously announced that will be delivered in June and August 2013 , Air Canada today announced that it will add three new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft to be delivered in November and December 2013 and February 2014.  With the addition of these five aircraft, Air Canada’s Boeing 777 fleet will consist of 23 aircraft comprising the latest generation of 300 ER and 200 LR models.

Air Canada’s five new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft will be the first aircraft configured with the carrier’s new Premium Economy cabin prior to the arrival of Boeing 787 aircraft scheduled to begin delivery in 2014.  The five Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft will also offer a larger Economy cabin as Air Canada will strategically deploy these aircraft on select international markets with high volume demand for economy travel.

The five Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft that will begin delivery in June 2013 will be configured with a larger Economy cabin with 398 new “slimline” leather seats providing 31-inch legroom consistent with the comfort of Air Canada’s current Economy cabin, while the dedicated Premium Economy cabin of 24 leather seats will provide 38-inch legroom along with other enhanced comfort features.  Air Canada’s Executive First cabin will offer 36 seats that convert into 180-degree lie-flat beds in a staggered configuration of one or two, to allow customers traveling alone or with a companion to choose their preferred seating and sleeping options.  Customers in all three cabins of service will enjoy an enhanced individual seat back in-flight entertainment system with hundreds of hours of complimentary audio visual entertainment options featuring larger screens and customer-friendly technology by Panasonic.

In addition to the introduction of Premium Economy, new seats and a leading edge entertainment system, Air Canada’s five new Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft will provide customers with a refreshed interior colour palette in modern, neutral tones unique to these aircraft pending the official launch of Air Canada’s future in-flight product and cabin design that will be made in conjunction with the introduction of Boeing 787 aircraft into its fleet.

Air Canada’s 37 Boeing 787 aircraft will feature a brand new, enhanced version of Air Canada’s award-winning Executive First lie-flat beds and product that has yet to be announced, in addition to Premium Economy and Economy options.  The Boeing 787 fleet will be deployed on the carrier’s current and future high premium demand international routes.

On the financial side, Air Canada reported full year and fourth quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and impairment, and aircraft rent (“EBITDAR”) of $1.451 billion (or $1.327 billion before the impact of benefit plan amendments) compared to EBITDAR of $1.242 billion in 2011.  Including the favourable impact of benefit plan amendments, EBITDAR of $1.451 billion increased $209 million year-over-year (or $85 million before the impact of benefit plan amendments).  On a GAAP basis, in 2012, net income was $131 million or $0.45 per diluted share compared to a net loss of $249 million or $0.92 per diluted share in 2011.  On an adjusted basis, net income was $53 million or $0.19 per diluted share compared to a net loss of $122 million or $0.44 per diluted share in 2011.

For the fourth quarter of 2012, Air Canada reported EBITDAR of $284 million compared to EBITDAR of $162 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, an improvement of $122 million.  On a GAAP basis, in the fourth quarter of 2012, Air Canada reported net income of $8 million or $0.03 per diluted share compared to a net loss of $60 million or $0.22 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2011.  Air Canada reported an adjusted net loss of $6 million or $0.02 per diluted share compared to an adjusted net loss of $167 million or $0.60 per diluted share in the same quarter in 2011.

Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best. Boeing 777-333 ER C-FIUW (msn 35249) completes its final approach into London (Heathrow).

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