The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Air Canada has embarked on a major expansion of its network overseas, announcing seven new routes in Europe and Asia for next summer. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe quotes chief commercial officer Mark Galardo saying the move signals a push to become a fully international carrier as the country's largest airline aims to draw more on higher-margin globetrotters and less on purely domestic customers. Air Canada wants to transform itself into a global airline and will focus on "further building its long-haul network," Mr. Galardo told CP. The build-out also comes as Air Canada and its competitors struggle to navigate fuel costs as the Iran war drags on, a prolonged plunge in Canadian demand for U.S. travel and the years-long closing of Russian airspace to Western airlines -- a serious hurdle to travel between North America and Asia, given the polar routes through Siberian skies. To help offset those challenges, the airline plans to launch new service to five foreign cities including Guangzhou, Oslo and Dubrovnik. By next summer, Air Canada aims to operate more than 125 international routes to 85-plus destinations, excluding the U.S. destinations.