Wings Magazine

News
Emirates Inaugural Flight Lands in Toronto

Oct. 29, 2007, Toronto, Ont.- When Emirates Airline flight EK241 touched down in Toronto today, it officially opened the first and only non-stop connection between Canada and Dubai.


October 30, 2007  By Carey Fredericks

Oct. 29, 2007, Toronto, Ont.- When Emirates Airline flight EK241
touched down in Toronto today, it officially opened the first and only
non-stop connection between Canada and Dubai.

The inaugural flight for Emirates' new three-times-weekly service between Toronto and Dubai was greeted by fanfare at Toronto's Pearson International
Airport. The Boeing 777-300ER, with Canadian captain Warren Montgomery from
Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan, at the helm, was welcomed by a water-cannon ceremony
on the runway. That was followed by a special cake-cutting ceremony at the
airport, presided over by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum,
Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, who was among the
passengers on the first flight.
       
"We are very excited about opening the first non-stop direct gateway
between Canada and Dubai," said Sheikh Ahmed. "As Canada's financial centre
with world-class restaurants, cultural venues, professional sports, trade
exhibitions and hundreds of festivals each year, Toronto will be very
attractive to both business and leisure travellers from across our route
network. Conversely, we anticipate Canadians to take advantage of this new
direct gateway into Dubai, the Middle East and across our growing global
network."
       
Toronto is Emirates 97th destination on its network, now, including
Canada, spanning 61 countries.
       
Other dignitaries on board the initial flight included Her Excellency
Sara Hradecky, Canadian Ambassador to the UAE, His Excellency Hassan M.I. Al
Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Canada, and Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates Executive
Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide.
       
The inaugural return flight – EK242 – departed Toronto for Dubai at 21:40
on 29th October. Regular service between Toronto for Dubai will be every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Service takes just over 13 hours from Toronto
and about 14 hours, 20 minutes on the return journey.
       
Emirates is flying its Boeing 777-300ER on the
Toronto-Dubai route, offering 12 First Class, 42 Business Class and 304
Economy Class seats: a total of 358 in a three-class configuration. The
aircraft also features the airline's award-winning entertainment and
communications system, ice (information, communication, entertainment), on
which passengers can enjoy over 600 channels of entertainment.

Advertisement

Stories continue below