Taking flight: New non-stop air service connects Halifax to Vancouver

Passengers board first non-stop flight to Vancouver The Halifax airport is marking a milestone as passengers boarded the first non-stop flight from Halifax to Vancouver.

HALIFAX — A new flight path connecting Canada’s east and west coasts officially launched Monday as the travel industry continues to recover from the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Passengers boarded the first non-stop flight from Halifax to Vancouver at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport Monday morning.

Air Canada says the service, which will be offered up to five times a week, will also allow for more convenient access to Asian markets.

“This new service is a positive step towards strengthening our domestic connectivity, providing more choice for our passengers, and boosting tourism to the region,” said Joyce Carter, the president and CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority, in a news release in February when the flights were first announced.

“It also provides Atlantic Canadians with convenient connections to western North America, Asia, and the South Pacific.”

The flight departed Halifax at 9:30 a.m. and is set to arrive in Vancouver at 12:13 p.m. It will depart Vancouver at 10:15 p.m. and return to Halifax at 7:58 a.m.Tuesday.

Air Canada says travel is starting to return to pre-pandemic levels, bothdomestically and internationally.

“At Halifax Stanfield, connecting means the world, and this new service helps achieve that by enabling Atlantic Canadians to easily visit loved ones and clients they’ve been separated from for the past two years,” said Carter in February. “We can’t wait to see more Bluenosers headed on their way to visit the west coast and welcome more visitors from B.C. to our beautiful province.”

The carrier also announced that flights to London’s HeathrowAirport and direct flights to Calgary have also resumed this week.