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
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.