Launching on June 8 next summer, the flights will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on a Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft featuring premium and economy cabins.

Prices lead in at £687.02 for a return economy seat on the flight which is on sale now and which has been launched in conjunction with a separate Frankfurt-Vancouver service, also in June.

Benjamin Smith, Air Canada president, passenger airlines, said: “Air Canada continues to strategically increase its European flights at YVR with seasonal daily flights to Frankfurt next summer and three times weekly flights to London Gatwick.

“We will be the only airline flying non-stop between YVR and the two largest airports in the London metropolitan region during the peak summer travel period with the addition of Gatwick. 

“By next summer, Air Canada will serve five European destinations non-stop from YVR including two significant hubs, Frankfurt and Heathrow, Gatwick, Dublin, and on a code-share basis with joint venture partner Lufthansa Munich, strengthening YVR as an important hub that connects our BC, Western Canada and US routes to our expanding international network.”