Trans-Canada Air Lines changed its name to Air Canada in 1965. The new name was adopted on June 1, 1965, after legislation approved the change.
Trans-Canada Air Lines had been created in 1937 as a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway. It developed into Canada's principal national airline, serving domestic destinations and expanding internationally. The English name Air Canada had already been used informally before becoming the official corporate name.
The carrier's French name is Air Canada as well, reflecting Canada's bilingual federal identity. It is sometimes confused with Canadian Airlines, a separate Canadian carrier created in 1987 through the combination of several airlines. Air Canada acquired Canadian Airlines in 2000.
Air Canada later became a founding member of Star Alliance in 1997, but that alliance history is separate from the airline's 1965 rebranding. Its headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec.