Air Canada and ACTA embark on a new relationship to enhance existing partnership

The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) is announcing an enhanced partnership with Air Canada. This partnership will see both organizations work together to develop a robust Learning Management System designed for the agency community. The Learning Management System will provide agencies across Canada with the ability to learn and gain accreditation on Air Canada products and services as Air Canada experts. Under the new agreement, ACTA and Air Canada will work closely on various travel industry initiatives delivered through the ACTA Learning Campus, Industry Events and Publications; together, they will also provide product training to as many as 2,000 ACTA member organizations.

"This partnership is about an ongoing commitment to our agency partners," says Duncan Bureau, Vice President, Global Sales for Air Canada. "ACTA is a great organization and represents its membership very well so they were a natural fit for what we wanted to achieve. We at Air Canada are very passionate about the industry and we want to make the investment in our existing partners who share our passion, as well as those who are considering the field of travel and tourism through education. This really is a starting point that we intend to grow and evolve."

David McCaig, President and COO of ACTA states "We are pleased that ACTA and Air Canada are entering this new relationship. Air Canada is a leader and must remain a key supporter of the travel agency industry. We are pleased that Air Canada is taking the initiative to provide education to travel agents."

Air Canada will be providing ACTA travel agents more access and extensive training on its products and services as well general information to support the aviation industry. Travel Agents can more easily equip themselves with the information that best meets their individual needs.

"The airline industry is constantly evolving and it is critical for our members to have access to relevant and up to date content and education," McCaig adds. "With the new partnership, our members will have the opportunity to be better connected to Air Canada and be able to offer clients a more meaningful consult and thorough support when travelling."

-30-

About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest full-service airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services in the Canadian market, the Canada-U.S. transborder market and in the international market to and from Canada. Together with its Air Canada Express regional partners, Air Canada serves close to 35 million passengers annually and provides direct passenger service to more than 175 destinations on five continents. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance(TM), the world's most comprehensive air transportation network.

About ACTA
Established in 1977, the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA), is a national trade association representing the retail travel sector of Canada's tourism industry. ACTA is an industry led, nonprofit, membership based organization. With over 35 years of successful representation, ACTA remains the premier association for the retail travel industry in Canada. Our membership base includes an essential cross-section of small, medium and large agencies that represents 80% of all booking transactions by travel agencies in Canada.