AC celebrates 75th with Dreamliner debut

Air Canada welcomed thousands of suppliers, customers and employees to the kick off event of its year-long celebrations of its 75th anniversary in Toronto last week — an event that featured as its centrepiece, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. AC has 37 firm orders — plus 13 options for the Dreamliner — and will take delivery of its first 787 in 2014. AC president and CEO, Calin Rovinescu was on hand for the special event, telling the gathering that: “Today is a double celebration for Air Canada as we welcome the future, embodied by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and take stock of our accomplishments over our 75 year history.” Rovinescu observed: “We have built a proud tradition over three-quarters of a century by being a leader in terms of customer comfort, safety and convenience. Among the many innovations pioneered by Air Canada over our history are developments adopted by our industry over the decades: cabin pressurization, deicing techniques, smoke-free flights, the first computerized reservation system and e-services for customers, to name just a few. Today’s visit by the 787 Dreamliner marks another stage of our ongoing evolution and industry leadership.” Along with the debut of the Dreamliner, Air Canada also announced the launch of the Air Canada Foundation, to manage the airline’s community investment programs and raise the profile of the causes Air Canada and its employees support. The new foundation — which will be a registered charity — builds on the former Kids’ Horizons Program with a continuing focus on the health and wellness of children and youth. The Foundation’s mission is to help bring sick children to the medical care they need, support organizations that alleviate child poverty, and make the wishes of sick and disadvantaged children come true. It achieves these aims by supporting pediatric hospitals, raising funds and providing other assistance to charitable organizations As well, it announced the release of a series of Canada Post Picture Postage stamps. Air Canada has commissioned five stamps featuring different aircraft from its fleet over the past 75 years. Aircraft included in the series are the Douglas DC-3, 1947; Vickers Vanguard, 1961; Boeing 747-100, 1971; Airbus 340-541, 1999; and Boeing 777-300 ER, 2007. These collectors’ stamps will be available for purchase at http://www.aircanada.com in the near future. The event also featured a 75-year retrospective fashion show of more than 30 vintage uniforms from each decade of Air Canada’s history. The uniforms were recreated in Montreal’s fashion district and capture the romance and zeitgeist of their particular era. From sober gabardine in the 1930s to the mod 1960s and plaids of the 1970s, the show highlights the evolution of Air Canada’s distinctive styling. For more, go to http://www.aircanada.com .