Air Canada had good news to share and couldn’t think of a better time to share it than 1:40 pm on a Sunday afternoon:

Air Canada launches non-stop seasonal service between St. John’s, NL and London, U. K., with daily flights during summer peak travel

MONTREAL, April 1 /CNW Telbec/ – The departure today of Air Canada flight AC 830 marks the return of seasonal non-stop service between St. John’s, NL and London, U.K. until the end of October 2007.

Air Canada’s service to London will operate three times weekly on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in April 2007, increasing to five times a week in June 2007, and to daily service from July 1, 2007 through the end of September 2007. Air Canada flight AC830 will leave St. John’s at 12:55, arriving in London at 21:25, and flight AC831 will leave London at 22:40 arriving in St. John’s at 00:45.

“Air Canada’s new non-stop service between St. John’s and London-Heathrow offers travellers the convenience of daily non-stop service to London in time for summer peak travel,” said Daniel Shurz, Vice President, Network Planning, Air Canada. ‘We believe the people of Newfoundland and Labrador will value this direct link to the U.K., the fastest and most convenient way of travelling to London and making global connections beyond.”

“Air Canada is a longtime partner of ours and a major service provider here at St. John’s International Airport. I’m very pleased to welcome their new seasonal service on the St. John’s to London route, a route they have served for so many years,” said Keith Collins, President and CEO, St. John’s International Airport Authority.

The good news comes six months after Air Canada cancelled non-stop daily service between St. John’s and London and has nothing to do with this news from the day before:

FLIGHTS RESUME
Canadian Press

The Newfoundland and federal governments are welcoming the resumption of year-round, direct air service to London by Astraeus, about six months after Air Canada cancelled the service. Beginning in May, the independent, British-based airline will provide three flights a week from the St. John’s airport to Gatwick, 45 kilometres south of London. Air Canada quashed daily service to London’s Heathrow airport in September, saying the route wasn’t profitable enough. It signalled the first time the province was without year-round transatlantic air service since the Second World War.