Etihad Boosts Toronto Route With Daily Flights

DALLAS — Etihad Airways (EY), the Abu Dhabi-based megacarrier, has announced that it will be increasing the frequency of its transcontinental route to Toronto, making it a daily connection between the two cities. This announcement follows the recently expanded air services agreement between the UAE and Canada.

Starting May 30, 2023, EY will introduce a new flight that will operate every day of the week, offering business and leisure travelers, the Canadian diaspora, and UAE students enrolled in Canada’s top universities a convenient flight option.

Arik De, Chief Revenue Officer for the airline, said, "Our daily service will provide passengers with a seamless and efficient travel experience. With this increased frequency, we are confident that we will meet the growing demand for air travel between the UAE and Canada."

The Abu Dhabi-Toronto flight upgrade coincides with the 18th anniversary of the service's inauguration back in October 2005. Over the years, EY has prospered in Canada thanks to interline agreements with major airlines such as WestJet (WS) and Air Canada (AC), offering codeshared flights.

Flight EY141 is scheduled to depart from Abu Dhabi (AUH) at 08:55, arriving 14 hours later at Toronto-Pearson Airport (YYZ) at 14:55. All frequencies will be operated alternatively with Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Toronto Pearson is currently only served by two Middle Eastern carriers, EY and Emirates (EK), which is based in Dubai (DXB). Doha (DOH) is not currently connected to Toronto by Qatar Airways (QR).

The Boeing 787 plays a key role in Etihad's route strategy, offering better performance in long and skinny flights far away from Abu Dhabi. Photo: Miles Aronovitz/Airways

Middle Eastern Growth in Canada

The announcement of the frequency upgrade to Toronto by EY comes less than a week after Emirates, its largest competitor and sister airline, announced daily flights on the popular Dubai (DXB) to Toronto (YYZ) route, also served by Air Canada.

These actions are in response to the significant growth in business ties between Canada and the UAE over the years. Both carriers aim to take advantage of this growth and meet the rising demand for air travel between the two countries.

Last year, Emirates established a codeshare partnership with AC, enabling passengers to have uninterrupted travel options when traveling to Canadian domestic destinations through Toronto, such as Ottawa, Winnipeg, or Montreal.

Featured image: At the moment of writing, Etihad Airways owns and operates 12 units of Boeing 777 family aircraft. Photo: Andrew Henderson/Airways

https://airwaysmag.com/emirates-increase-canadian-connections/