
Etihad increases capacity by 31% to Canada, touches down in Toronto
Post Views: 41
Etihad Airways has begun operating its iconic Airbus A380 on daily flights to Toronto, boosting capacity by 31% and marking a new chapter in the airline's long-standing commitment to Canada ahead of its 20th anniversary. Etihad's famous big bird was welcomed with a water-cannon salute at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The upgraded service introduces the unparalleled luxury of Etihad's flagship A380 aircraft to Canadian skies for the first time. This includes the airline's award-winning First Apartments and the world's only three-room suite in the sky, The Residence, offering an exceptional flying experience for guests on the route between Zayed International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport. The increased capacity responds to strong demand for travel between the UAE and Canada, particularly across business, leisure and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) segments.
Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways, said: 'We are proud to introduce the A380 and offer guests flying between Abu Dhabi and Canada an extraordinary new travel experience with Etihad. Toronto has been a cornerstone of our North American network since 2005, when we became the first airline from the Gulf region to operate flights to Canada. The introduction of our flagship aircraft on this route reflects our deep commitment to the Canadian market.'
Etihad's A380 features 486 seats across four cabins, including: • The Residence: A private three-room suite with living room, bedroom and ensuite bathroom with shower • First Apartments: 9 fully enclosed suites with personal space, 80-inch lie-flat beds and separate ottoman seat • Business Studios: 70 lie-flat seats with aisle access, premium dining and exclusive access to The Lobby, a serviced lounge in the sky
• Economy Smart Seats: 405 seats with fixed-wing headrests and adjustable support, including 68 extra legroom seats
Guests flying to or from Canada via Abu Dhabi can also take advantage of Etihad's stopover programme, with complimentary hotel stays offering a chance to experience the UAE capital's rich cultural landmarks, pristine beaches, and world-class attractions.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Today
2 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Trump cuts off US trade talks with Canada
US President Donald Trump abruptly cut off trade talks with Canada on Friday over its tax targeting US technology firms, saying that it was a 'blatant attack' and that he would set a new tariff rate on Canadian goods within the next week. The move plunges US-Canada relations back into chaos after a period of relative calm that included a cordial G7 meeting in mid-June where Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to wrap up a new economic agreement within 30 days. It also came just hours after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent struck an upbeat tone on trade, touting progress had been made with China on reviving the flow of critical minerals for the US manufacturing sector and in other key tariff negotiations. The often-chaotic rollout of Trump's import levies since his return to office this year has frequently whipsawed financial markets, and have begun to weigh on consumer spending, the bedrock of the US economy. US stocks were briefly batted lower by his broadside against Canada, but the S&P 500 and Nasdaq managed to close out the week at record highs. Trump's action comes ahead of Canada's plans to begin collecting on Monday a previously enacted digital services tax on US technology firms, including Amazon, Meta, Alphabet's Google and Apple, among others. The tax is 3% of the digital services revenue a firm takes in from Canadian users above $20 million in a calendar year, and payments will be retroactive to 2022. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social media platform, called the tax 'a direct and blatant attack on our country' and said Canada was a 'very difficult country to TRADE with.' 'Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately,' Trump said. 'We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven-day period.' Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said that the negotiations with Canada would not resume 'until they straighten out their act,' adding that the US holds 'such power over Canada.' Canada is the second-largest US trading partner after Mexico, and the largest buyer of U.S exports. It bought $349.4 billion of US goods last year and exported $412.7 billion to the US, according to US Census Bureau data. Carney's office responded to Trump's announcement by saying: 'The Canadian government will continue to engage in these complex negotiations with the United States in the best interests of Canadian workers and businesses.' Bessent sought to downplay the U.S.-Canadian dispute in a CNBC interview, saying US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would likely open a Section 301 probe into Canada's digital tax that would clear the way for tariff retaliation in the amount of harm to US firms, which he said was roughly $2 billion. The US has prepared similar retaliation against European countries that have imposed digital taxes. A USTR spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'WRAPPED UP BY labour DAY' Earlier on Friday, Bessent said the Trump administration's various trade deals with other countries could be done by the Sept. 1 labour Day holiday, citing talks with 18 top trade partners and another revision to a deal with China to reopen the flow of rare earth minerals and magnets. After a week where tariffs took a back seat to the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and the massive tax and spending bill in the US Congress, the Trump administration's trade negotiations have picked up. The United States sent a new proposal to the European Union on Thursday and India sent a delegation to Washington for more talks. 'So we have countries approaching us with very good deals,' Bessent said on Fox Business Network. 'We have 18 important trading partners.... If we can ink 10 or 12 of the important 18, there are another important 20 relationships, then I think we could have trade wrapped up by labour Day,' Bessent said. He did not mention any changes to a July 9 deadline for countries to reach deals with the United States or see tariffs spike higher, but Trump said at the White House that he could extend the tariff deadline or 'make it shorter.' Trump said that he would notify countries of their tariff rates within the next week and a half, adding: 'I'd like to just send letters out to everybody: Congratulations. You're paying 25%.' Reuters


Dubai Eye
3 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Emirates extends Tehran flight suspension
Emirates has extended the suspension of its passenger services to the Iran's capital city of Tehran until July 5, citing "regional situation". The earlier suspension for all Dubai flights to Tehran was until June 30. In an update on its official website, the carrier said passengers "connecting through Dubai with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice". Meanwhile, Emirates services to Iraqi city of Baghdad will resume on July 1, and Basra flights on July 2. Travellers are urged to check official airline channels for regular updates, the airline said, adding that it is "closely monitoring the developments". Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has suspended flights to Israel until July 15. The carrier added that passengers "transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to cancelled flights will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin". In its latest travel update, flydubai said it expects to resume its full network operations from July 1, pending final assessments. The airline had earlier announced suspension of flights to Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria and Russia's St. Petersburg until June 30. Air Arabia has also suspended operations to Iran, Iraq, Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan until June 30.


TAG 91.1
7 hours ago
- TAG 91.1
Emirates extends suspension of flights to Tehran
Emirates has extended the suspension of its passenger services to the Iran's capital city of Tehran until July 5, citing "regional situation". The earlier suspension for all Dubai flights to Tehran was until June 30. In an update on its official website, the carrier said passengers "connecting through Dubai with final destinations in Iran will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin until further notice". Meanwhile, Emirates services to Iraqi city of Baghdad will resume on July 1, and Basra flights on July 2. Travellers are urged to check official airline channels for regular updates, the airline said, adding that it is "closely monitoring the developments". Meanwhile, Etihad Airways has suspended flights to Israel until July 15. The carrier added that passengers "transiting through Abu Dhabi to connect to cancelled flights will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin". flydubai said it expects to resume its full network operations from July 1, pending final assessments. The airline had suspended flights to Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria and Russia's St. Petersburg until June 30. Air Arabia has also suspended operations to Iran, Iraq, Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan until June 30.