"If there's one thing to take away from the past two years, it's that we've learned the true meaning of a valued partner."
Those were the words of Lucie Guillemette, Air Canada's EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, as she welcomed "the return of travel" -- and the reintroduction of in-person events -- at a gathering of key travel partners and corporate clients in Toronto.
"We've all been tested in ways we never could have imagined," Guillemette said. "I commend all of you for your resilience and resolve."
The onset of the pandemic brought travel to a crashing halt. For Air Canada, that meant seeing daily passenger totals drop from highs of 150,000 to as low as 2,500.
"Watching our network fall apart after so much growth over the past several years broke our hearts, but it never broke our spirit," Guillemette added.
AC recently achieved a recovery milestone by carrying more than 100,000 pax in a day, and Guillemette says that while there will be bumps in the road back to full strength, the airline has "the strongest foundation we've ever had."
"We're growing again in all geographies. Some markets will take a little more time, but we're now flying to 51 Canadian cities, close to 50 U.S. cities and 40 international markets. The ramp-up has been quick," the AC executive added.
Among the things Guillemette is excited about as things improve are the growing roles played by leisure carrier Rouge and Air Canada Vacations.
"Rouge is here to stay. It's now a narrow-body operator and the perfect tool for the sun market," Guillemette said.
Regarding ACV, Guillemette says the airline and tour operator are working closely together.
"It's a part of our business that I adore. And there are important and transformational initiatives coming. We view ACV as a great brand to help support and strengthen the Air Canada brand."
One benefit of the two-year crisis, Guillemette told the audience, was taking the time "to rethink and redesign the product of the future."
Part of that will come from the order for 26 Airbus A321XLR planes, with options for 14 more. When combined with AC's 737 MAX 8s and its Airbus A220s, Guillemette says the carrier will have "one of the youngest and most economically efficient fleets.
"We intend to rise higher than ever before," Guillemette. "Our goal is to simplify and improve how we interact with customers and partners, and to elevate the customer experience. There are bright skies ahead."
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