Over 1,000 Dreams Took Flight in 2025 with the Help of The Air Canada Foundation

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dreams Take Flight, Air Canada and The Air Canada Foundation celebrated another successful year of magical journeys to theme parks in Florida and California. This year, more than a thousand children across Canada got to experience a day full of rides, magic and laughter.

Founded in 1989, Dreams Take Flight was created by a group of Air Canada employees in Toronto with a mission to offer children who experience mental, physical or social challenges a trip of a lifetime to a theme park in Florida. By 1997, Dreams Take Flight had expanded across Canada with eight chapters: Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Dreams Take Flight is 100 per cent volunteer driven. Air Canada and The Air Canada Foundation provide each chapter with an aircraft, along with additional support and services, to ensure every trip is a success.

The children chosen from different children’s organizations are accompanied by volunteers, current and retired Air Canada employees who provide a magical experience for those onboard. The volunteers, including flight attendants, maintenance engineers, and numerous other employees on the ground and behind the scenes, generously volunteer their time to offer these children the chance to take a break from their everyday lives and create lifelong memories.

"I am profoundly thankful for the Air Canada Foundation’s steadfast partnership. Their support enables our dedicated volunteers to deliver a day of magic for children who need it most – an experience that can open hearts, broaden horizons, and remind every child that they deserve to dream," said Denise Egglestone, President, Dreams Take Flight Canada.

“Dreams Take Flight is more than a trip; it’s a moment that inspires hope and courage. Thanks to the generosity and dedication of our employees and retirees, children experience a day that lifts their spirits and reminds them that their dreams are worth believing in. It’s a day filled with laughter, wonder, and possibility, creating memories that stay with them long after the plane has landed. That is something we value deeply and are proud to support,” said Brigitte Saint-Pierre, Director, Official Languages and Community Engagement at Air Canada, on behalf of the Air Canada Foundation.

Since its first flight over 35 years ago, more than 35,000 children have experienced a Dreams Take Flight trip-of-a-lifetime to Florida or California.

About the Air Canada Foundation 

The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers both financial and in-kind support to Canadian-registered charities. Core programs include the Hospital Transportation Program, which redistributes Aeroplan points to 15 pediatric hospitals across Canada, enabling children access the medical care they need away from home. The Air Canada Foundation, in collaboration with the airline, also engages directly in fundraising activities, such as the Every Bit Counts program, which encourages customers to donate loose change of all denominations on board flights or through collection containers available in Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and is an active participant in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises. For more information about the , please read the . 

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest airline, the country’s flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. Air Canada provides scheduled service directly to more than 180 airports in Canada, the United States and Internationally on six continents. It holds a Four-Star ranking from Skytrax. Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is Canada’s premier travel loyalty program, where members can earn or redeem points on the world’s largest airline partner network of 45 airlines, plus through an extensive range of merchandise, hotel and car rental partners. Through Air Canada Vacations, it offers more travel choices than any other Canadian tour operator to hundreds of destinations worldwide, with a wide selection of hotels, flights, cruises, day tours, and car rentals. Its freight division, Air Canada Cargo, provides air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s passenger and freighter aircraft. Air Canada’s climate-related ambition includes a long-term aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. For additional information, please see . Air Canada shares are publicly traded on the TSX in Canada and the OTCQX in the US.

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