Air Canada has announced recently the strategic expansion of its international network by adding non-stop flights between its Pacific hub at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) beginning April 2. The announcement was made during the Government of Canada’s Team Canada Trade Mission in the Philippines, commemorating 75 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Philippines. This new service to Manila is Air Canada’s third South-East Asia destination launched in the last two years.
“We are thrilled to add Manila to our global network with new, year-round, non-stop service from Vancouver, Air Canada’s Pacific gateway hub. We continue to pursue our international network strategy of expanding to large, fast-growing markets that are presently unserved directly by Air Canada,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President, Revenue and Network Planning, and President, Cargo at Air Canada.
He added that the Philippines is an important market reflecting longstanding family ties between the two countries with growing business connections and tourism opportunities. With an extensive domestic and trans-border network in Vancouver designed to connect seamlessly to Air Canada’s international flights, making travel between North America and the Philippines even more convenient for leisure and business travellers alike.
Air Canada is the only Canadian carrier currently serving the Philippines, which is the largest market in Asia without direct Air Canada service.
The new route will operate four times weekly starting April 2, 2025, utilizing the airline’s flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. It will be Air Canada’s 12th route in its transpacific network from Vancouver, which includes Japan, South Korea, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. This takes advantage of Vancouver’s strategic geographic position as the closest major North American city to Asia. With this new service, Air Canada will offer over 180 weekly flights between Canada and the Pacific next summer, the most non-stop flights of any carrier in the market.
Flights from Canada to Manila can now be booked on aircanada.com, through Air Canada’s contact centers, and via travel agents. Flights for bookings originating in Manila to Canada will be available for sale soon.