Emirates has announced that following the enhanced air transport service agreement between the UAE and Canada, the airline is adding two flights per week to its Dubai-Toronto route, catering to pent up demand.

Days after a breakthrough agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Canada to enhance air services agreement between the countries, paving the way for new flights, Emirates says it is adding two additional flights per week between Dubai and Toronto, with effect from April 20. It says that with the new capacity addition, daily flights will operate on the busy route to serve huge demand for passenger services.

In a press statement, the airline says that the move comes as bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Canada have enhanced significantly, with both countries set to reap vast economic benefits across a multitude of sectors and supply chains.

“Emirates welcomes the expansion of the air services agreement between the UAE and Canada and we would firstly like to thank all stakeholders and authorities who were involved in this pivotal agreement that will provide a boost to the aviation and tourism sectors in both countries. We have been serving customers between Toronto and Dubai since 2007, and although the double-decker A380 aircraft has been operating the route since 2009, demand arising from leisure and corporate travellers, diaspora and students has consistently outstripped the allocated capacity. This enhanced agreement represents a turning point for us in our strategy to serve our customers better, by offering more choice and flexibility, and meet pent up demand across our growing network,’’ says Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer.

“Business ties between Canada and the UAE have grown significantly over the years and the expanded air services will help to further nurture business and trade.  The expansion of air services is also an affirmation of the growing importance of the UAE to Canada’s global connectivity, which we can support through our global network of more than 130 destinations. Together with the relevant authorities, our codeshare and loyalty programme partner Air Canada, and our valued industry partners, we look forward to playing a role in facilitating more tourism and trade opportunities between the two nations,” adds Kazim.

The statement adds that Emirates operates its flagship A380 aircraft on the Dubai-Toronto route, allowing 491 passengers across Economy Class, Business Class and First Class on each flight. With the two additional flights per week, Emirates will offer close to 2,000 additional seats to serve the busy route, representing a 40 pc increase in capacity between its hub city of Dubai and the Canadian point. The Dubai-Toronto route is highly popular amongst customers from India, UAE, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka while the same countries represent top destinations for travellers from Toronto, says the airline.

Last year, Emirates activated a codeshare partnership with Air Canada, allowing customers to enjoy seamless connectivity when flying to domestic points within Canada via Toronto. Top connections for Emirates customers beyond Toronto include Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax, Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton. Air Canada’s customers can travel to destinations across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, in Emirates’ expansive network of over 130 destinations via its hub in Dubai.