An Air Canada plane lands at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Canada’s flag carrier Air Canada has finally landed in the Philippines. It begins its first direct flight between Manila and Vancouver, Thursday.

Air Canada’s Managing Director for International Sales Rocky Lo said the Philippines is the airline’s third destination in Southeast Asia after Bangkok and Singapore. It also makes Air Canada the North American airline with the most number of direct flights to Southeast Asia.

The Philippines, Lo said, was an obvious choice for their global expansion.

“There are 1 million people in Canada with Filipino descent from the 2021 Canadian census. So we know this group will help a lot of those Canadian with Filipino descent to come home, visit their friends and relatives,” Lo told reporters during a press conference.

He added aside from Overseas Filipinos, there are many others who will benefit from this direct flight which takes only about 13 hours. Previously flights to Vancouver would need to stop in another airport like in Japan before arriving in Canada.

“Students from the Philippines is now the third largest overseas student population in Canada. And we also see a growing business and tourism opportunity as part of the Canada-Indo Pacific strategy,” Lo said.

At least two of the flight attendants of the inaugural flight are Filipino-Canadians who are also excited for this route.

“It’s very exciting for me and my family because my parents go home once a year so it will be easy for them to see their brothers and sisters here in Cavite,” said flight crew Kristine Encarnacion who is based in Canada.

The route will fly thrice a week in April, but will increase by May. The airline is confident this route will be a success with Vancouver as the gateway to other cities in Canada and even to the United States.