Rome, May 10, 2016. The plane of dreams arrives in Italy. Air Canada brings to Italy one of the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner 900 series.

It took off for the first time ever from the "Leonardo da Vinci" airport in Rome, the first flight from Italy to Canada of the new technological jewel of Boeing, the historic American company, the world's leading manufacturer of civilian aircraft.

The flight, which connects Rome with Toronto, offers innovative services to passengers, with a significant reduction in fuel costs and low environmental impact.

Air Canada therefore continues the modernisation of the fleet with 34 new planes arriving by 2018 and another 20 optional machines.

An industrial plan with a total value of $ 9 billion, one of the largest investments in the aviation sector.

The Boeing 787 series 900 is 59.7 metres long (+3m compared to the previous version) with a wingspan of 60 metres, can accommodate 298 passengers in three service classes, which is 30 in Business International, 21 in Premium Economy and 247 in Economy, with leather seats and completely renovated interiors even in terms of colour.

This jewel of technology allows to save on average 30% less fuel on a transatlantic route of 10 hours thanks to the use of materials such as Kevlar and carbon fibre.

The attention to the environment is also an important aspect, since the noise emissions are lower than those of any other new-generation aircraft.

Each passenger can enjoy their own view on the flight because each seat has its own auto-darkening window allowing you to see outside even while travelling at night.

The onboard entertainment systems are all interactive and equipped with Wi-Fi.

The space between the seats is about 10 cm wider than the average of other airlines, with guaranteed passenger comfort in mind.

Besides the comfort of the seats in three service classes, regarded as one of the best in the world for comfort, space and width, the plane also guarantees special attention to air circulation in the cabin which is ionised to make the environment even healthier and more pleasant.

The inflight food is delicious, with a menu "à la carte" designed by chefs and esteemed Canadian winemakers.

"I am particularly proud to see that Italy, and especially the airport of Rome, was chosen for the launch of this innovative airplane model - explains the general director for Italy of Air Canada Umberto Solimeno -. Our company in recent years has wanted to invest heavily in its fleet, accelerating the modernisation with a massive investment plan that stood at $ 9 billion at global level, more than a billion dollars for the aircraft dedicated to the Italian market alone".

 "We are honoured to be alongside Air Canada on such an important day " - declared Fausto Palombelli, Executive Vice President Aviation Marketing Development of Aeroporti di Roma. "The arrival at the airport of the first B787-900 Dreamliner is the most obvious confirmation of a growth path that links Air Canada and Aeroporti di Roma. Constant improvements made by Air Canada go hand in hand with the commitment that Aeroporti di Roma has implemented to raise the quality of the main Italian airport, as recognised by the recent findings of the Airport Council Association, according to which Fiumicino is among the top European airports regarding the passenger satisfaction index".

With over 200 airports in 6 continents, Air Canada is the 17th largest airline in the world, serving more than 42 million passengers in 2015.

From Italian airports the company connects over 120 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. For 2016 there will be over 1,542 scheduled flights and half a million seats offered to and from Canada from Italy. In total flights from Italy, compared to 2015, increase from 26 to 31 weekly.

Aeroporti di Roma, part of the Atlantia Group, manages and develops the airports of Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino and performs other activities related and complementary to airport management. Fiumicino operates through four passenger terminals. It is dedicated to business and leisure customers for domestic, international and intercontinental flights; Ciampino is mainly used by low cost airlines, express couriers and for General Aviation activities. In 2015 ADR (Aeroporti di Roma) recorded, as an airport system, more than 46 million passengers with 240 destinations worldwide reachable from Rome thanks to about 100 airlines operating from the two airports.

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Air Canada Italy

Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Office Tower 1

Fiumicino, Rome

T. +39 06.83514963

Italia Press Office

Luca Cipriano

ufficiostampaaircanada@gmail.com

lucacipriano@hotmail.com

M. +39 347.6311765

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External Relations ADR (Aeroporti di Roma)
+39 3355766591 
+39 3382098246 
+39 3451283176 
+39 3351753281
pressoffice@adr.it