Air Canada to expand transatlantic routes

Air Canada plans to expand its transatlantic presence next year, taking advantage of an aviation pact between Canada and the European Union. "This new agreement opens up a realm of new commercial opportunities for Air Canada throughout the EU," Air Canada chief operating officer Duncan Dee said in a statement yesterday. The carrier will also benefit from a four-company joint venture - dubbed Atlantic Plus-Plus - involving Continental Airlines Corp., United Airlines Inc., Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Air Canada. The Canada-EU agreement is a more important deal now than it would have been a year ago, when a tentative pact was announced, an industry insider said, adding that Air Canada will be pursuing a bigger international push in 2010. AC.B (TSX) rose 4 cents to $1.19.