Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05OTTAWA352
2005-02-04 17:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ottawa
Cable title:
Air Canada adds/alters flights to avoid U.S. Transit
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS OTTAWA 000352
SIPDIS
STATE EB/TRA, WHA/CAN
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS (BOYD)
TRANSPORTATION FOR U/S POLICY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ETRD CA
SUBJECT: Air Canada adds/alters flights to avoid U.S. Transit
visas
-------
Summary
-------
UNCLAS OTTAWA 000352
SIPDIS
STATE EB/TRA, WHA/CAN
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS (BOYD)
TRANSPORTATION FOR U/S POLICY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ETRD CA
SUBJECT: Air Canada adds/alters flights to avoid U.S. Transit
visas
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. Air Canada is adding to and altering flights schedules
to accommodate travelers seeking to avoid transit of the
United States. Air Canada is explicitly touting new non-
stop Asian flights as providing "the added convenience of
avoiding U.S. transit visa requirements." Air Canada says
the increased complications or restrictions that the U.S.
has put on travelers transiting the U.S. has "definitely
helped us." End summary.
2. In an early January 2005 press release trumpeting growth
in non-stop flights between Canada and China, Ben Smith,
Vice President of Planning for Air Canada, stated:
"Combined with our major expansion of services throughout
Latin America, also via our Toronto hub, Air Canada offers
international travelers between Asia and South America the
added convenience of avoiding U.S. transit visa
requirements." Also, with respect to the recent addition of
direct service to Australia he remarked "it means
significant added convenience for citizens of Australia and
other travelers impacted by U.S. government visa
requirements when transiting via the United States."
Current Air Canada service to Australia requires a stop in
Honolulu.
3. Effective June 2, 2005 Air Canada will introduce non-
stop service between Toronto and Beijing. Air Canada will
operate four non-stop flights per week from Toronto to the
Chinese capital, complementing its daily non-stop flights to
Beijing and Shanghai from Vancouver, and twice daily Hong
Kong flights including new non-stop service from Toronto.
Air Canada is boosting seating capacity between Canada and
China by 16 per cent and providing freight forwarders with
45 per cent more cargo tonnage from one year ago. Twice
weekly non-stop direct flights to Australia commenced
December 16, 2004.
4. Air Canada is Canada's flag carrier; it is the 13th
largest commercial airline in the world and serves more than
27 million customers annually. From its main hub in
Toronto, the carrier operates non-stop flights to Hong Kong,
Tokyo, Seoul and Delhi, (a new service and the only non-stop
link between North America and India). From its Pacific
Asian gateway in Vancouver, Air Canada serves Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Seoul with daily
non-stop flights. On January 21, 2005, China granted Canada
"approved destination status" which allows Chinese citizens
to travel to Canada as tourists; previously they could only
visit for business purposes.
5. Comment: We understand that Spanish airline Iberia is
also adding or altering routes in order to offer passengers
the convenience of avoiding U.S. Transit visa requirements,
by moving away from the Miami transit hub (where connections
are made to the Caribbean, and Central and South America).
Brazilian airline VARIG and Japan Airlines (JAL) are
reportedly considering dropping Los Angeles as a stop on
their Sao Paulo - Narita route because of the US$100 transit
visa requirement. It seems a reasonable assumption on the
part of Air Canada that for similar reasons many Asian
travelers may likewise choose to use Vancouver or Toronto as
the jumping off point to South America rather than Los
Angeles or Miami.
Cellucci
SIPDIS
STATE EB/TRA, WHA/CAN
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS (BOYD)
TRANSPORTATION FOR U/S POLICY
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ETRD CA
SUBJECT: Air Canada adds/alters flights to avoid U.S. Transit
visas
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. Air Canada is adding to and altering flights schedules
to accommodate travelers seeking to avoid transit of the
United States. Air Canada is explicitly touting new non-
stop Asian flights as providing "the added convenience of
avoiding U.S. transit visa requirements." Air Canada says
the increased complications or restrictions that the U.S.
has put on travelers transiting the U.S. has "definitely
helped us." End summary.
2. In an early January 2005 press release trumpeting growth
in non-stop flights between Canada and China, Ben Smith,
Vice President of Planning for Air Canada, stated:
"Combined with our major expansion of services throughout
Latin America, also via our Toronto hub, Air Canada offers
international travelers between Asia and South America the
added convenience of avoiding U.S. transit visa
requirements." Also, with respect to the recent addition of
direct service to Australia he remarked "it means
significant added convenience for citizens of Australia and
other travelers impacted by U.S. government visa
requirements when transiting via the United States."
Current Air Canada service to Australia requires a stop in
Honolulu.
3. Effective June 2, 2005 Air Canada will introduce non-
stop service between Toronto and Beijing. Air Canada will
operate four non-stop flights per week from Toronto to the
Chinese capital, complementing its daily non-stop flights to
Beijing and Shanghai from Vancouver, and twice daily Hong
Kong flights including new non-stop service from Toronto.
Air Canada is boosting seating capacity between Canada and
China by 16 per cent and providing freight forwarders with
45 per cent more cargo tonnage from one year ago. Twice
weekly non-stop direct flights to Australia commenced
December 16, 2004.
4. Air Canada is Canada's flag carrier; it is the 13th
largest commercial airline in the world and serves more than
27 million customers annually. From its main hub in
Toronto, the carrier operates non-stop flights to Hong Kong,
Tokyo, Seoul and Delhi, (a new service and the only non-stop
link between North America and India). From its Pacific
Asian gateway in Vancouver, Air Canada serves Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Seoul with daily
non-stop flights. On January 21, 2005, China granted Canada
"approved destination status" which allows Chinese citizens
to travel to Canada as tourists; previously they could only
visit for business purposes.
5. Comment: We understand that Spanish airline Iberia is
also adding or altering routes in order to offer passengers
the convenience of avoiding U.S. Transit visa requirements,
by moving away from the Miami transit hub (where connections
are made to the Caribbean, and Central and South America).
Brazilian airline VARIG and Japan Airlines (JAL) are
reportedly considering dropping Los Angeles as a stop on
their Sao Paulo - Narita route because of the US$100 transit
visa requirement. It seems a reasonable assumption on the
part of Air Canada that for similar reasons many Asian
travelers may likewise choose to use Vancouver or Toronto as
the jumping off point to South America rather than Los
Angeles or Miami.
Cellucci