Air Canada

Air Canada's predecessor, Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), was created by federal legislation as a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway (CNR) on 11 April 1937. The newly created Department of Transport under Minister C. D. Howe desired an airline under government control to link cities on the Atlantic coast to those on the Pacific coast. Using $5 million in Crown seed money, two Lockheed Model 10 Electras and one Boeing Stearman biplane were purchased from Canadian Airways and experienced airline executives from United Airlines and American Airlines were brought in.

Passenger flights began on 1 September 1937, with an Electra carrying two passengers and mail from Vancouver to Seattle, a $14.20 round trip, and, on 1 July 1938, TCA hired its first flight attendants. Transcontinental routes from Montreal to Vancouver began on 1 April 1939, using 12 Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras and six Lockheed Model 18 Lodestars. By January 1940, the airline had grown to about 579 employees.

Canadian Pacific Airlines (CP Air) suggested in 1942 a merger with TCA. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King rejected the proposal and introduced legislation regulating TCA as the only airline in Canada allowed to provide transcontinental flights. With the increase in air travel after World War II, CP Air was granted one coast-to-coast flight and a few international routes.

Originally headquartered in Winnipeg, also the site of its national maintenance base, the federal government moved TCA's headquarters to Montreal in 1949; the maintenance base would later also move east. With the development of the ReserVec in 1953, TCA became the first airline in the world to use a computer reservation system with remote terminals.

By 1964, TCA had grown to become Canada's national airline and, in 1964, Jean Chrétien submitted a private member's bill to change the name of the airline from Trans-Canada Airlines to Air Canada, which TCA had long used as its French-language name. This bill failed but it was later resubmitted and passed, with the name change taking effect on 1 January 1965. …

Air Canada had been loss-making for several years, but was profitable from 2012; however, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company was again loss-making in 2020. The key trends for the Air Canada group, including Air Canada Express and Air Canada rouge, are (years ending 31 December):

Air Canada became fully privatized in 1989, and its variable voting shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:AC), and, since 29 July 2016, on OTCQX International Premier in the US under the single ticker symbol "ACDVF".

Currently, the Air Canada Public Participation Act (ACPPA) limits ownership of Air Canada's voting interests by non-residents of Canada to a maximum of 25%. The Canada Transportation Act (CTA) also requires that Canadians own and control at least 75% of the voting interests of licensed Canadian carriers. Accordingly, Air Canada's articles contain restrictions to ensure that it remains "Canadian" as defined under the CTA.

Prior to 1976, Air Canada was a department of the Canadian National Railway (CNR), helmed by a department head who reported to the president of CNR. Since 1976, the following have been CEO and president:

By federal law (Air Canada Public Participation Act), Air Canada is obligated to keep its head office in Montreal. Its corporate headquarters is Air Canada Centre (French: Centre Air Canada), also known as La Rondelle ("The Puck" in French), a 7-storey building located on the grounds of Montréal–Trudeau International Airport in Saint-Laurent.

In 1975, Air Canada was headquartered at 1 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal. In 1990, the airline moved its headquarters to the airport to cut costs.

Air Canada's Operations Centre is located in Brampton, Ontario, and oversees all flight operations including dispatching and crew scheduling. It has an off-site disaster recovery site and is typically unused.

Trans-Canada Capital manages Air Canada's pension plan and its $30 billion in assets. TCC has allocated funds in: Canadian fixed income; absolute return hedge funds; and, real estate, infrastructure, private equity, private debt.TCC's team grew the fund from $23 billion in 2020 to $30 billion in 2024. TCC began a partnership with Pretium Partners in 2013, investing in their single-family rental real estate strategy. …

As of January 2024, Air Canada flies to 64 domestic destinations and 158 international destinations across Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. Along with its regional partners, the carrier serves over 222 destinations in 47 countries, on six continents worldwide.

Air Canada currently flies two fifth freedom flights, São Paulo-Buenos Aires and London Heathrow-Delhi. Air Canada has flown a number of fifth freedom routes (passenger and cargo rights between two non-Canadian destinations) in the past, including: Honolulu–Sydney, London Heathrow–Düsseldorf, Paris–Geneva, Paris–Munich, Paris–Berlin, Frankfurt–Zürich, Zürich–Zagreb, Zürich–Vienna, Zürich–Delhi, Manchester–Brussels, Lisbon–Madrid, Brussels–Prague, London Heathrow–Mumbai, London Heathrow–Nice, London Heathrow–Mumbai–Singapore, Montego Bay–Kingston (KIN), and Santiago–Buenos Aires. However, these were replaced with nonstop routes: Vancouver–Sydney, Toronto–Munich, Toronto–Brussels, Toronto–Zürich, Vancouver–Zürich, Toronto–Vienna, Toronto–Delhi, Vancouver–Delhi, Toronto–Madrid, and Toronto–Mumbai.

Air Canada have joint ventures with the following airlines:

Additionally, Air Canada partners with The Landline Company to provide "tarmac-to-tarmac" coach bus connections to and from two hubs and nearby smaller airports or terminals: Toronto–Pearson to Hamilton, Kingston, Muskoka, Niagara, Sarnia, or Kitchener-Waterloo; and Montréal–Trudeau to the Palais des congrès de Montréal convention centre.

Air Canada codeshares with the following airlines:

Air Canada has interline agreements with the following airlines:

Air Canada has three classes of service, Business/Signature, Premium Economy, and Economy. On most long-haul international and short-haul routes operated by widebody aircraft, Signature Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class are offered; most short-haul and domestic routes feature Business Class and Economy Class. All mainline seats feature AVOD (Audio Video On Demand) and mood lighting. Air Canada Express features Business Class and Economy Class, on CRJ900 and Embraer E175 aircraft; all other Air Canada Express aircraft have one-class economy cabins. All narrowbody mainline aircraft, as well as Air Canada Express CRJ900 and Embraer E175 aircraft have onboard Wi-Fi installed, which is also being installed on all widebody aircraft.

Starting in 2025, Air Canada, in partnership with Bell Canada, will roll out fast and free Wi-Fi to Aeroplan members on Wi-Fi-equipped planes flying within North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Air Canada said about 85% of its fleet will be covered. It plans to roll it out to its international fleet starting in 2026.

In the spring of 1987, Air Canada enacted no-smoking flights between Canada and New York City as a test. After a survey reported that 96% of passengers supported the smoking ban, Air Canada extended the ban to other flights.

On 9 February 2017, a new uniform scheme coinciding with Canada's 150th and Air Canada's 80th anniversaries was unveiled. Air Canada partnered with Vancouver-born fashion designer Christopher Bates to design the new uniforms which incorporate a base colour of black or grey with red lettering and the famous maple leaf.

Between 2004 and 2017, Air Canada uniforms used a midnight blue colour. The uniforms were designed by Canadian fashion designer Debbie Shuchat. At a presentation in the Toronto Airport hangar, Celine Dion helped the newly solvent airline debut its new image.

Aeroplan is Air Canada's frequent flyer rewards program, both allowing for points collection and spending, as well as status and rewards as an Air Canada customer. After Air Canada and Aeroplan changed the division of points collection and redemption, Air Canada introduced an internal rewards program, Altitude. The two programs operate in conjunction.

In May 2017, Air Canada announced it plans to launch a new loyalty program to replace Aeroplan and Altitude in 2020. On 10 January 2019, Air Canada re-acquired Aeroplan from Aimia. In 2020, Air Canada Altitude and Aeroplan merged, with Aeroplan as the surviving entity.

On 20 September 2012, Air Canada unveiled its new frequent flyer status program named "Air Canada Altitude" to supplement Aeroplan. Aeroplan remained the frequent flyer rewards program, collecting miles which can be "spent", whereas status level is determined by Altitude standing.

There are five levels of membership in Air Canada's Altitude Program: Basic, Prestige 25K, Elite 35K, Elite 50K, Elite 75K and Super Elite 100K. The latter three are called "Top Tier" membership levels and provide travel benefits such as upgrades, lounge access, priority services (e.g., check-in, luggage handling), and bonuses when earning miles through air travel. In order to qualify for these levels, a member must earn, through flight activities, a certain number of miles or a certain number of segments and spending some level of money. Altitude refers to these as Altitude Qualifying Miles (AQM), Segments (AQS), and Dollars (AQD).

Prestige members and Altitude Elite 35 K receive Star Alliance Silver status, while Elite 50K, Elite 75K, and Super Elite 100K members receive Star Alliance Gold status.

Air Canada Status Miles are calculated on an annual basis to determine Altitude Membership Status for the following benefit year (1 March through 28 February). At the 35K and above levels, that level of status is granted when achieved, for the remainder of the current year, as well as for the next year.

This coincides with the alliance with Star Alliance, and this can give Star Alliance Gold passengers access to any Star Alliance lounge and discounts or upgrades on another Star Alliance member.

On 8 November 2020, Air Canada Altitude renamed as Aeroplan Elite Status. …