Good news for travellers on Vancouver Island: Next summer, you won't have to wait in another airport, drive for hours or take a ferry to get a flight to Toronto or Montreal.
Air Canada has announced it will offer a new nonstop flight from Nanaimo to Toronto four times a week starting June 21, 2018 until Oct. 8, 2018.
Air Canada Rouge will operate the flight using a 136-seat Airbus A319 on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with all flights departing Nanaimo at 12:15 p.m.
The airport says the flight will give residents on the mid-island easier access to one of Canada's major travel hubs, which connects to destinations like Florida, the Bahamas and Europe.
“The additional service to Toronto is a major indicator of how strongly the communities in our region are supporting the Central Island’s airport of choice," airport president and CEO Mike Hooper said in a statement.
Flights to Toronto from Nanaimo previously had to connect through Vancouver or Calgary.
The company is also launching a non-stop seasonal service between Victoria and Montreal beginning in June 2018.
The Victoria-Montreal route will operate Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Victoria at 11:05 a.m.
Air Canada says it hopes to capitalize on growing demand for flights to and from Vancouver Island destinations during the popular summer travel period.
