Air Canada quick to raise Manila-Vancouver flights

MANILA, Philippines — Canada’s flag and largest carrier Air Canada is increasing its weekly flights between Manila and Vancouver by May to tighten its grip in a market it views with much potential.

Air Canada yesterday landed its inaugural flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from the Vancouver International Airport, making it the lone Canadian carrier to connect the two on a non-stop basis.

Air Canada flies between Manila and Vancouver on a thrice a week schedule, but the service will be upgraded to four times weekly starting May.

Air Canada managing director for international sales Rocky Lo said the route would be flown all year, not on a seasonal schedule, reflecting the airline’s confidence in the demand. The service is also flown using a 298-seater Boeing 787-9, divided into three seat classes.

Based on data from the Embassy of the Philippines in Canada, there are 925,490 Filipinos living and working in Canada as of 2021. Filipinos account for the third largest immigrant population in Canada, next to the Chinese and Indians.

In British Columbia, where Vancouver is located, there are close to 173,000 Filipinos, making up more than three percent of the population in the province.

Lo also said Canada is becoming one of the most important foreign exchange sites for Filipinos wanting to study abroad.

Further, Canada is the sixth largest source of foreign tourists for the Philippines, reaching almost 224,000 in 2024, according to the Department of Tourism.

For now, Lo said Air Canada would look into the performance of its Manila-Vancouver service, but the airline is open to expanding further in the Philippines. Doors are also open for the carrier to mount more flights from Manila to other cities in Canada.

Prior to this, Air Canada connected Manila and Vancouver through one-stop services via Tokyo, which takes up to 21 hours at times. Lo said the non-stop flight cuts the travel time between the two cities to 13.5 hours.

Manila became Air Canada’s 12th route in its Asia-Pacific network, now made up of destinations in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.

Air Canada’s entry in Manila also scales up its presence in Southeast Asia, building on its initial investments in Singapore and Bangkok from 2022.