New non-stop Toronto flight increases travel options

Central Islanders have long wanted an easier way to travel to Toronto. And this month they’re getting it.

Thanks to a partnership with Nanaimo Airport, Air Canada Rouge launches a non-stop Nanaimo-to-Toronto flight on June 22. It will run four times a week. Flights leave Nanaimo at 12:15 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Passengers will fly in a 136-seat Airbus A319. It will be the first scheduled jet service in Nanaimo Airport’s long history.

“Adding scheduled service like this reinforces our commitment to being the Central Island’s gateway to the world,” says airport CEO Mike Hooper.

The new flight gives residents easier access to Air Canada’s network of global flights from its Toronto hub. WestJet also offers connections through Nanaimo Airport. The two airlines can take Islanders to sun destinations like Hawaii and the Bahamas. Most national and international destinations can be reached with same-day travel.

The Toronto flight creates opportunities for business owners, investors and workers here. They can pursue new markets, customers and jobs. Easy connections to the Central Island also give the region’s tourism and education sectors an advantage.

“By creating new opportunities for convenient leisure and business travel, this service has significant potential for regional economic development,” says Hooper.

Nanaimo Airport’s ongoing investments in infrastructure helped pave the way for the arrival of large aircraft such as the Airbus A319. The airport broke ground in April on an expansion of the Terminal Building. This project is needed to handle record passenger volumes. It will also make the travelling experience even more comfortable.

The Toronto service continues throughout the prime summer travel season until October. Air Canada and WestJet also have scheduled additional summer flights on their routes to Vancouver and Calgary.