AIRLINE NEWS
AIR CANADA ROUGE launches operations
FINNAIR looks to join new business venture
Air Canada has launched its new low-cost international subsidiary airline , Air Canada Rouge , under the AC Code . The airline began offering services from Toronto to Venice and Edinburgh and from Toronto and Montreal to Athens .
Finnair has announced plans to join British Airways and Japan Airlines in their joint business on flights between Europe and Japan .
The carrier will also operate flights from Toronto to the Caribbean with destinations including Punta Cana , Puerto Plata and Samana in the Dominican Republic ; San Jose and Liberia in Costa Rica ; Kingston in Jamaica and four points in Cuba .
As other Air Canada routes make the transition to Rouge , more destinations will be added including Orlando , Las Vegas and seasonal service to Sarasota , Florida .
Rouge ’ s start-up fleet comprises of two A319s and two Boeing 767-300ERs sourced from Air Canada ’ s mainline fleet but have been reconfigured to carry up to 30 % more passengers . Air Canada reports that the Rouge fleet could potentially grow to 50 aircraft in four years .
The new business arrangement , which is subject to regulatory approval , will see the Helskinki-based carrier share revenue and coordinate schedules and fares with both BA and JAL on routes to Japan .
Bringing Finnair into the agreement will offer greater benefits to customers travelling between Europe and Japan and will enable the oneworld alliance to compete more effectively around the world with other global alliances .
British Airways and Japan Airlines first entered into a joint business arrangement in October 2012 providing their customers with better links between the EU and Japan . The addition of Finnair to the joint business will allow the three airlines to cooperate on expanding their presence to and from this vital and growing market .