[Johnny Ryall]

Memphis Business Journal

Air Canada will begin serving Memphis International Airport with a twice-daily flight between the Bluff City and Toronto. The airline announced its expansion plans Wednesday, which include new service to a total of seven U.S. cities: Memphis; San Diego and Santa Ana, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Portland, Maine.; Cincinnati; and Syracuse, N.Y. "This additional service to seven more U.S. cities further solidifies Air Canada's position as the leading transborder carrier between Canada and the U.S. and the No. 1 foreign carrier flying to the United States — offering the most flights per day to more destinations in the U.S. than any other international airline," said Ben Smith, executive vice president, in a statement. The airline’s Memphis flights will commence May 17 using 75-seat CRJ aircraft. Montreal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five continents. The carrier is the 13th largest commercial airline in the world and serves 33 million customers annually.