Historical Perspective Wings of innovation With a growing fleet of Boeing airplanes, Air Canada continues to be an aviation pioneer By Kathrine Beck Wwith mail in Vancouver, British Chief Executive Officer Calin Rovinescu built a fleet of more than 200 airplanesToday, 75 years after that first flightfrom Vancouver to Seattle, Air Canada has“We have to continue to build onour innovation agenda,” Air Canadahen two passengers boarded aLockheed 10A Electra loaded Columbia, on Sept. 1, 1937, they probably said recently. “This means having the including 30 Boeing 767-300s, six 777- didn’t know they were stepping into history. courage to effect transformation and 200LRs and 12 777-300ERs. The airline The 50-minute flight to Boeing Field be early adopters.” also has five more 777-300ERs on order. in Seattle would launch what was to Boeing and Air Canada have a long That transformation is continuing become Canada’s national airline and history. The airline started with a Boeing with the addition of the 787 Dreamliner. one of the leading innovators of modern Stearman mail airplane and the Lockheed The airline has 37 firm orders for the 787 commercial aviation. 10A Electra. Additionally, Philip Johnson, and options for 13 more. First delivery is Two years later, the airline would who left Boeing in 1933, was appointed scheduled for 2014. pioneer onboard oxygen systems and vice president of operations for Trans- “We are big believers that the 787 will introduce the first-ever de-icing systems. Canada Air Lines in 1937 and guided dramatically improve our capabilities,” Later innovations would include the first establishment of what would become Rovinescu told an audience that gathered computerized reservation system, the Air Canada. to begin a 75th anniversary celebration first jet-powered freighters, the so-called In 1939, Johnson resumed his former in Toronto last March, which included “black box” that would help unravel causes position of Boeing president. Many of a special appearance of the 787 on its of accidents, the first nonsmoking flights the airline’s early technical people came Dream Tour. and even the first electronic boarding pass. from Boeing. “Having a 30 percent improvement 10 BOEING FRONTIERS / SEPTEMBER 2012
Frontiers September 2012 Issue
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