Chamber News

Take Off from Scotland with Air Canada

Air Canada, Canada’s largest international and domestic airline, has been serving Edinburgh since 2013 and is set to offer its customers in Scotland nonstop summer seasonal service between Edinburgh and Toronto, starting 1 June 2022 and operating through to 29 October 2022.

Air Canada will offer a 6-times weekly nonstop service between Edinburgh and Toronto (4-times weekly in October) operated for the first time by Air Canada mainline with state-of-the-art, Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, accommodating 255 passengers, with a choice of three classes of service: Economy, Premium Economy and Air Canada Signature Class which features lie-flat seating. Services between Scotland and Canada are timed to optimise connectivity to Air Canada’s extensive North American network, including 46 airports in the U.S.

The onboard customer experience will include complementary inflight entertainment at every seat, complimentary beverages, menu items curated by Air Canada’s Chef Jérôme Ferrer and the option to purchase onboard wi-fi. All flights provide for Aeroplan accumulation and redemption and, for eligible customers, priority check-in, Maple Leaf Lounge access, priority boarding and other benefits. “This is very exciting news for our customers in Scotland who can start planning their next trip to rediscover Canada. Air Canada has a long and proud history of serving Scotland, with our first flight arriving in Prestwick in 1943,” said Stephen Gerrard, Air Canada General Manager Sales, U.K. and Ireland. “Our non-stop flight between Edinburgh and Toronto will provide our customers in Scotland with a direct link to Canada and beyond, as countries reopen and border measures ease around the world for vaccinated travellers.”

Customers in Scotland can enjoy easy access to some of Canada’s most scenic and exciting tourism destinations and take advantage of Air Canada’s growing network, which has been built to conveniently increase connectivity to and from global destinations via its Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver hubs. When combined with the networks of its Star Alliance partners, the airline can offer customers easy access to destinations worldwide.

In addition to the upcoming service between Edinburgh and Toronto, from 1 May 2022, Air Canada will offer daily nonstop service from London Heathrow to Toronto, Vancouver, Montréal, and Calgary, as well as a daily nonstop service between Dublin and Toronto. The airline will also resume flights between London Heathrow and Halifax, starting 1 May 2022, Manchester and Toronto, starting 1 June 2022, Dublin and Montreal, starting 2 June 2022, as well as Dublin and Vancouver, starting 3 June 2022.

Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking from the independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which in 2021 also named Air Canada as having the Best Airline Staff in North America, Best Airline Staff in Canada, Best Business Class Lounge in North America, as well as an Excellence award for its handling of COVID-19. In January 2021, Air Canada received APEX’s Diamond Status Certification for the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosafety programme for managing COVID-19, the only airline in Canada to attain the highest APEX ranking.