Air Canada launches non-stop service between Ottawa and San Jose

Tech stocks may be slumping amid deep spending cuts, but Air Canada thinks there's enough trans-border high-tech business to launch the first daily non-stop service between Ottawa (Silicon Valley North) and San Jose California (Silicon Valley South).

The first non-stop flights began Monday.

"By creating this convenient, 'high-speed' link between the two Silicon Valleys, we are responding to a demand expressed by the Ottawa business community," Air Canada vice-president Marc Rosenberg said in a release.

"We count on the community's ongoing support and commitment in the weeks and months ahead to make this route viable and successful for Air Canada and for Ottawa.".

The service is starting with 1 flight daily each way, using a 112-seat Airbus A319. The morning flight from Ottawa to San Jose leaves at 7:45 a.m. ET and arrives in San Jose at 10:45 a.m. PT. The return flight leaves San Jose at 11:30 a.m. PT and lands in Ottawa at 7:50 p.m. ET.

Previously, people wanting to fly from Ottawa to San Jose had to stop-over in Toronto or Chicago.

A large number of Canadian high-tech companies have operations in the Ottawa/Kanata area, including Nortel, JDS Uniphase, Corel, Mitel, and Alcatel Canada.

Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli called the Ottawa/San Jose expansion "crucial" to the expansion of the high-tech industry in the national capital area.