Attention Business/Financial Editors:

     EDMONTON, May 1 /CNW Telbec/ - The departure today of flight AC8529 marks the return of non-stop, year-round service from Edmonton to the City of Angels. Air Canada Jazz operates the only daily, non-stop Los Angeles flights with next-generation, made-in-Canada Bombardier CRJ-705 jet aircraft, featuring 10 Executive Class and 65 Hospitality seats.
     "We are delighted to offer Edmonton-area residents the convenience of more non-stop flights. The Los Angeles flights link the vibrant economy of Northern Alberta to one of the most popular destinations in the United States for both leisure and business," said Ben Smith, Air Canada's vice president responsible for network planning at Air Canada and Jazz. "Northern Albertans wishing to travel to Los Angeles using Air Canada's innovative, flexible and unique multi-trip passes are able to do so via the Oil Express, Western, and North America Passes."
     AC8529 departs Edmonton at 16:15, arriving in Los Angeles at 18:45. AC8528 departs Los Angeles at 11:25, arriving back in Edmonton at 15:45. Flights are timed to offer convenient, same-day connections for travellers to and from Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray.
     "Air Canada's new daily non-stop service gives our Edmonton and connecting northern customers another major U.S. hub city that is convenient and has excellent connections to the South-Pacifc region as well as South America," says Reg Milley, Edmonton Airports President and CEO. "It's a key service for business and tourism, with California being a large inbound tourism market for this region."
     The CRJ-705 aircraft features all-leather seating and is configured in two classes of service with 10 window or aisle seats in Executive Class offering 37 inches of legroom, and 65 window or aisle seats in Hospitality Class offering an industry leading 34 inches of legroom. All seats will be equipped with Air Canada's new in-seat personal entertainment system. The Bombardier CRJ-705 aircraft has a cruising speed of 860 km/h and a range of more than 3,200 km with a total payload of 7,800 kg including a maximum cargo capacity of 2130 kg. Air Canada Jazz operates a fleet of 15 CRJ-705s.
     From Edmonton, Air Canada offers 110 daily scheduled, non-stop flights to and from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Calgary and Vancouver, with daily scheduled, non-stop flights to and from Yellowknife, Victoria and Kelowna beginning this summer.

Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz operate more non-stop flights within Canada and to the United States than any other airline. Within Canada, the carriers operate around 960 non-stop flights per day on 131 routes to and from 67 airports. Between Canada and the United States, the carriers operate more than 390 non-stop flights per day on 89 routes to and from 51 U.S. and 7 Canadian destinations.