MONTREAL — Air Canada has announced the introduction of nonstop service between Montreal and Tokyo Narita, a first for Montrealers that positions the Canadian hub as a “major player in Canadian and North American aviation,” said Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.

Starting June 1, 2018, flights will operate year round, with daily service during summer peak travel and three times a week during the winter onboard Air Canada’s flagship aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Air Canada’s new transpacific service from its Montreal hub is designed to optimize connectivity to several Canadian and U.S. cities: Quebec City, Ottawa, Halifax, Charlottetown, Boston, Philadelphia and Orlando.

Special introductory fares start at $999 roundtrip, all in, and tickets are now available for purchase at aircanada.com or through travel agents.

“Air Canada is continuing its global expansion by strategically building its Montreal hub, and we are thrilled to announce the launch of non-stop flights to Tokyo, Montreal’s first scheduled link to Japan,” said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer, Air Canada. “This new transpacific service further reflects Air Canada’s ongoing international growth strategy from Montreal, following the recent introduction of non-stop flights to Shanghai, Lima, North Africa and Europe. In addition, it enables Montreal to derive significant direct benefits including the creation of close to 130 Air Canada flight attendant, pilot and airport positions.”

Rovinescu also noted that the new service complements Air Canada’s existing Tokyo flights from Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, and also positions Air Canada as a leader in the growing Montreal-Asia market.

Coderre, who was present at this morning’s press conference at Le Westin Montreal, added: “After Shanghai and Tel Aviv, this new flight to Japan’s capital reflects a major investment by Air Canada that will generate significant economic and tourism benefits for our city.”

Also in attendance was Yves Lalumière, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Montréal. “Tourisme Montréal wanted to be a partner in this new Montreal–Tokyo service because it allows Montreal to further its international influence. This important addition builds on the new flights between China and Montreal operating during the last two years. We believe that the impact on Montreal tourism will be highly strategic and showcase Montreal’s vitality, while giving us access to Japan and other Asian and oceanic destinations. I would like to congratulate Air Canada for its dynamism and its major contribution to the future of Montreal and Quebec tourism.”

Air Canada, which has had its headquarters in Montreal since 1949, serviced over 8.3 million passengers at Montréal-Trudeau Airport (YUL) in 2016, up 11.5% from 2015. Summer 2017 trans-Atlantic capacity increased 19% over 2016, resulting in an 81% capacity growth in the last three years.

Air Canada operates more nonstop flights between Canada and Japan than any other carrier, with up to 46 non-stop return flights between Canada and Japan per week. Complimenting the new service between Montreal–Tokyo Narita, Air Canada operates flights up to seven times a week flights between Vancouver–Tokyo Narita; double daily flights between Toronto and Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita; flights up to seven times a week between Calgary–Tokyo Narita. Air Canada also offers summer seasonal service to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport daily up to seven times per week and Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya up to four times per week with Air Canada Rouge.

So far in 2017, Air Canada has launched seven new services from its Montreal hub to: Shanghai (China), Marseille (France), Dallas/Ft. Worth and Washington/Dulles (U.S.), Reykjavik (Iceland), Tel Aviv (Israel) and Algiers (Algeria) with an eighth new route to Lima (Peru) beginning in December 2017.