Only direct flight from North America to Bangkok launching out of Vancouver airport
The only direct flight between North America and Bangkok, Thailand, will launch out of Vancouver International Airport later this year.
Air Canada announced the new service expansion Monday, saying launch of the service, expected in early December, is dependent on final federal approval.
"We are extremely pleased to be launching our first non-stop service to Southeast Asia this winter, the only one between North America and Thailand," said Mark Galardo, senior vice president, network planning and revenue management at Air Canada, in a news release.
The 17-hour flight is expected to be scheduled for departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The flight will depart at 11 p.m. PT and land at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport just before 6 a.m. local time, two days later.
Heading the other direction, flights will leave from Bangkok on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and land in Vancouver at 6:35 a.m.
The service will be offered seasonally, from Dec. 1 to April 14.
"Thailand is a popular leisure destination for Canadians," Galardo said. "For further convenience, our Bangkok flights will connect to our extensive domestic and trans-border network giving customers added seamlessness and choice when travelling."
Other seasonal routes are expected to return or increase later this year.
For those eager to head to Australia or New Zealand, Air Canada's Vancouver to Auckland route will resume on Nov. 10, increasing from three flights per week to five in December. The Vancouver to Brisbane route will also increase to five flights per week in December and the route to Sydney will go up to 10 weekly flights for December and January.
Meanwhile, service to Delhi from Vancouver will return on Oct. 1, though that route includes a technical stop in Dublin for "operational purposes," the airlines says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.