The expanded service, operated by Air Canada Jazz, will begin on September 7, 2010 and is expected to meet growing demand for flights to the Lower Mainland. Air Canada will now offer direct service to Vancouver from Fort St. John five times every day.

The new flight will be available seven days per week and is suited for both business and leisure travellers. In addition to allowing same-day business travel between Fort St. John and Vancouver, this new flight provides convenient, one-stop connections in Vancouver to destinations beyond through Air Canada’s worldwide network. For example, in addition to connections to and from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, London Heathrow, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney and points throughout North America, travellers from Fort St. John can now also travel onwards on Air Canada’s non-stop flights to Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul with a same day connection in both directions.

“We are excited to offer travellers this additional level of service with Air Canada,” says Moira Green, managing director for NPAS. “We want to continue working with the airlines to position the airport for growth and meet the needs of a vibrant and expanding business, leisure and tourism market.”

Green adds that the expanded service will not only benefit the Fort St. John community but will also provide new options for travellers within the Peace River Regional District as well as Grande Prairie, Alberta – areas that regularly look to the airport for air service to Vancouver.

The new Air Canada Jazz flight will seat 50 travellers on a made-in-Canada Bombardier jet aircraft. The inaugural flight will leave Vancouver International Airport (YVR) at 10:45 p.m. on September 7, arriving in Fort St. John just after midnight, and will return to YVR at 6:20 a.m.

NPAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vancouver Airport Services, a leading global airport investment, management and development company. Vancouver Airport Services has managed Fort St. John Airport through NPAS since 1997 under a 30-year lease agreement. During that time, NPAS has overseen the opening of a new 2,800 square metre terminal as well as upgrades to the airport’s lighting and runway systems.

“We are always working with our network and partners to develop new routes and build on existing relationships,” says George Casey, president and CEO of Vancouver Airport Services. “We will continue to look at where demand exists and try to find ways to meet the North Peace region’s needs.”