PEI

Air Canada increases Charlottetown-Toronto seat capacity

Air Canada is changing its service between Charlottetown and Toronto, and that's going to mean more seats available on flights.

Airline service switching to larger planes with Air Canada rouge

Air Canada is changing its service between Charlottetown and Toronto, and that's going to mean more seats available on flights.

Rouge, Air Canada's low-cost subsidiary, will begin flights between Hamilton and Calgary in June. Rouge began operations at Vancouver International Airport in April with flights to Las Vegas. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

The airline announced Thursday that Air Canada rouge will replace the current Air Canada Express service during high season, from May 2 to Oct. 23 of next year.

"All indicators tell us that the demand is there from both Islanders and visitors for more seat capacity," said Charlottetown Airport CEO Doug Newson in a news release.

"We've always stressed the convenience factor travelling to and from Charlottetown and Toronto and seat availability is such an important part of that."

Newson said that introducing the Air Canada rouge service with Airbus 319 aircraft will increase Air Canada seat capacity between Charlottetown and Toronto this summer by 35 per cent.

Air Canada rouge flights to Toronto will depart Charlottetown at 6 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Flights from Toronto to Charlottetown will depart at 8:50 a.m. and 8:55 p.m. hours.

Tourism Minister Heath MacDonald said the announcement comes at a good time, just as P.E.I. is coming off a record-setting tourism year.