December 1996: A new Airbus joins the family | Air Canada's 80th Anniversary

1937

Trans-Canada Air Lines is Born

1938

1939

1940

Teletype service links airports

Winnipeg’s repair facilities grow

1941

1942

Employees just want to have fun

Canadian Pacific Airlines is born

And the fleet keeps growing...

1943

1944

1945

1946

Breaking trans-Atlantic records

1947

Setting the stage for food cargo

1948

G. R. McGregor becomes president

Hon. Lester B. Pearson flies TCA

Aircargo changes Canadian dining

1949

Pilot hits 10,000 flying hours

Employee moustache competition!

1950

Letter from a first-time flyer

Mystery flights promote travel

Rail strike gets people flying

1951

1952

1953

1954

Super Constellation graces skies

TCA becomes Air Canada... en français

1955

1956

Early cargo & baggage handling

1957

TCA flies non-stop across Canada!

Routing ramps up across Canada

1958

Making the first flight recorder

Father & son team fly Atlantic

1959

1960

1961

Shipping a roast pig to Churchill!

1962

Tireless work of ticket agents

Dominion store flies bacon galore

1963

1964

1965

Beatles replicas fly to Montreal

1966

Letter from a flight attendant

1967

Montreal smoked meat stars in L.A.

"I Dream of Jeannie" stars fly with us

Letter from a research analyst

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

Scoring Jamaican hockey gloves

1973

1974

Cowboys & airplanes in Calgary

1975

1976

1977

40 years old and faster than ever

1978

Air Canada’s first female pilot

1979

1980

1981

1982

Helping explorers to new heights

1983

1984

Letter from a past president and CEO

Historic aircraft sees new life

1985

Flight attendant's 15 minutes of fame

1986

Helping hand for Mother Teresa

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

Letter from a past president and CEO

1993

1994

1995

1996

Letter from a past president and CEO

1997

1998

1999

2000

Interline tickets fly you farther

2001

2002

Star Alliance a soaring success

2003

2004

Giving new meaning to Super Elite

2005

2006

Aircraft's new life under water

Lockheed goes up, up, waaay up

2007

70 years is cause for a party!

2008

2009

2010

Sponsoring our Canadian champs!

Cargo app has employee to thank

2011

Marriage proposal aims sky high

2012

Launch of Air Canada Foundation

2013

Air Canada & Airbus lauded for Perfect Flight

Global Operations Opens in Brampton

New Maple Leaf Lounge at Frankfurt

Top Canadian Employer for 2014

2014

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Arrives in Canada

Move to Heathrow’s New Terminal 2

Lounge at Heathrow’s New Terminal 2

Single-day Record for Customers Carried

Panasonic Inflight Entertainment

Golf Tournament Raises Over $1M

A New President, Passenger Airlines

2015

Carey Price and the Air Canada Foundation

Top Airline in Customer Loyalty

Carrying Our Sports Teams Cross-country

Air Canada innovates with the Apple Watch app

First Foreign Airline to Offer Customers TSA Pre ✓

The Amazing Race Canada Partnership

Expansion of Concierge Service

Ride to Conquer Cancer’s First Race

More than $1,000,000 for children’s charities

Air Canada Rouge expands service

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner joins the fleet

Air Canada Cargo's new e-booking tool

Canadian Dining at New Heights

New inflight kids’ channel in French

2016

Air Canada airlifts 1,500 Syrian refugees

Streamlined corporate travel management

Air Canada orders Bombardier C Series

Accessible inflight entertainment

Air Canada is off to the Olympics

Official airline of the World Cup of Hockey

A multi-currency prepaid card for travel

15 Years of Canada’s Best New Restaurants

Inflight film festival turns 10

New lounge at Montreal–Trudeau airport

Andre De Grasse: Canada’s Athlete of the Year

2017

Navi: Your guide to Air Canada

Véronique Rivest: Air Canada’s first sommelier

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The First Five Years - TCA’s takeoff
In the early 1930s no air service spans our vast nation and most Canadians can’t imagine flying. With a few good men, $5 million, two Lockheed Electras and a Stearman fresh from crop-dusting duties, the company takes off flying.

The First Five Years - Lockheed 14 Super Electra
Years in operation: 1938-1948
An improved version of the original Lockheed 10A (TCA’s first plane), these silver birds are now vintage beauties.

1940s - Growth spurt
Assisting in the war effort, TCA charts the hazardous Atlantic crossing. Thanks to improvements in airports and navigation technology – like radio – that help manage Canada’s weather extremes, the staff’s sense of pride and unity grows along with its fleet and route map.

1940s - Canadair North Star
Years in operation: 1947-1961
These Canadian-made planes became the first pressurized four-engine aircraft in the fleet. The first model, the C-54GM was loaned to TCA by the RCAF and was unpressurized.

1950s - Passion and purpose
In anticipation of the jet age, the airline expands its route network and flies more Canadians (and increasingly exotic goods) farther than ever before, both throughout Canada and around the world.

1950s - Vickers Viscount
Years in operation: 1955-1974
TCA became the first North American carrier to bring turbine driven aircraft into service with the gallant Vickers Viscount. The 48-passenger aircraft cruised at a speed of 507 km per hour.

1960s - The Jet Age
With the purchase of the exciting DC-8 aircraft, the first commercial jet, TCA – which becomes Air Canada in 1965 – revolutionizes the airline industry and cuts flying time in half.

1960s - McDonnell Douglas DC-9
Years in operation: 1966-2002
The fleet’s workhorse, this second-generation jet improved Canadian transcontinental routes. Retrofitted models served in the fleet for over 45 years.

1970s - OK computer
Computers improve ticketing and reservation systems and make for more efficient flying. The company’s ambitions are embodied in the Boeing 747, the biggest bird to ever take to the skies.

1970s - Lockheed L-1011-100 TriStar
Years in operation: 1973-1996
This smaller medium- to long-range aircraft had a galley located under the passenger floor, in the belly of the cabin, in which meals were prepared and brought up by elevator.

1980s - Global reach
Now privatized, Air Canada celebrates world-class service and its new place on the global commercial stage by offering more and more flights within Europe.

1980s - Boeing 747
Years in operation: 1971-2006
Air Canada became the first Canadian airline to introduce the 747 into service across Canada and in Europe. These huge birds offered a spaciousness and luxury new to commercial aircraft.

1990s - Network era
Air Canada joins the international network, building ties with other airlines by founding Star Alliance(TM) and introducing electronic ticketing, self-serve kiosks and the company’s first website.

1990s - Airbus 340
Years in operation: 1995- 2008
The Airbus 340 is an efficient long-range, four-engine wide-body passenger jet with a cruising speed of 869 km/hour. The A-340 first flew between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa on June 21, 1995.

2000s - Smart Mobility
Flying has become easy, comfortable and personalized to passengers’ tastes thanks to the introduction of personal seatback entertainment systems, wireless ticket services and smartphone apps that adapt to the speed of contemporary life.

2000s – Boeing 777-300
Years in operation: 2007-present
The world’s largest twinjet is more commonly referred to as the “Triple Seven.” It can carry over 300 passengers, and has a range of 9068 miles.

2010s - Flying into the future
Voted Best International Airline in North America in the Skytrax World Airline Awards three years running. With the groundbreaking Boeing 787 set to join the fleet, the future of flight is about to get new wings.

2010s – Boeing 777-300
Years in operation: 2007-present
The world’s largest twinjet is more commonly referred to as the “Triple Seven.” It can carry over 300 passengers, and has a range of 9068 miles.

1937 Today

New Airbus joins the family

Air Canada

1937

Trans-Canada Air Lines is Born

Canada Gets its Wings

TCA's first officer

Trans-Canada Survey Flight

Passengers fly!

TCA's takeoff

1938

Pilot recruitment & training

TCA invents de-icing

TCA’s first flight attendant

Flight attendant uniforms

Airmail is speedy!

1938 at a glance

1939

Quality assurance

Passengers cross Canada!

First-time flyer writes home

The first signs of WWII

Chewing gum & smelling salts

1939 at a glance

1940

Teletype service links airports

Winnipeg’s repair facilities grow

Letter from a station manager

Little miss TCA!

1941

Babe Ruth flies TCA

Making it in New York

Dale Carnegie flies TCA

1942

Women at work

Employees just want to have fun

Canadian Pacific Airlines is born

Newfoundland on the map

And the fleet keeps growing...

1943

Tip Top Tailors uniform

TCA crosses the Atlantic

1944

RCAF pilots join TCA

IATA moves to Canada

1945

London bound

Tuning radio frequencies

Letter from a passenger

1946

Hot meals hit the skies

Nylons return post-war

Toasty new heaters

TCA’s post-war growth spurt

Million Milers milestone

Breaking trans-Atlantic records

1947

Setting the stage for food cargo

Frozen meals take off

North Stars lead the fleet

North Star beauties!

1948

G. R. McGregor becomes president

Aircargo is airborn

TCA brings in new Canadians

Off to Bermuda

New daily border crossings

Hon. Lester B. Pearson flies TCA

Aircargo changes Canadian dining

TCA’s 2-millionth passenger

1949

Pilot hits 10,000 flying hours

Employee moustache competition!

Letters fly farther, faster

Ronald Reagan flies TCA

Women learn to travel light

Breakfast on the fly

1950

Letter from a first-time flyer

Bob Hope flies TCA

Red River flood relief