Emirates Marks Launch of Daily Service to Montreal with Inaugural Flight

Emirates Marks Launch of Daily Service to Montreal with Inaugural Flight

July 6, 2023 ctn_admin

Emirates made a landmark touchdown in Montréal, marking the start of its scheduled services to its second gateway in Canada. The inaugural flight was operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft, which will offer premium passenger services on its daily services to the city. Emirates now serves Canada with 14 flights per week.

Emirates executives onboard included: Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer; Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations – Americas; and David Broz, Vice President Aeropolitical and Industry Affairs.

Flight EK243 arrived at Montréal Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport at 0830hrs local time on 5 July and was greeted with a procession of follow-me vehicles to the gate. Airport officials and representatives from the aviation authorities were present to witness the touchdown, which also drew interest from aviation fans and media excited to capture the inaugural flight’s landing in Québec.

On arrival, the VIP delegation travelling from Dubai were welcomed by Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President – USA and Canada and Shaz Peshimam, Emirates’ Country Manager for Canada.

Following a welcome ceremony and symbolic gift exchange between the airline, airport officials, and Montréal’s tourism board, Emirates showcased its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration to government representatives, media, guests and members of the travel trade industry. The aircraft features eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 304 spacious seats in Economy Class for the daily service.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer emphasised the significance of the new destination and said: “Emirates is excited to launch our service to Montréal, and to grow our network with a second gateway into Canada. We take this opportunity to thank the UAE and Canadian authorities and partners for supporting the launch of the service, which is expected to positively impact tourism, business and trade in both countries.

“Complementing our services to Toronto, customers will now have more choice when planning trips to Canada – they now can fly directly to the country’s second largest metropolis whether for business, leisure, education or for visiting family and friends. Since we announced our plans to launch direct services to Montréal, we have witnessed healthy bookings from travellers planning trips to Canada from points in the UAE, India, Iran and Lebanon in addition to many Far East and African countries. The strong demand is testament to the quality of our product and travel experience we provide. We look forward to welcoming our customers onboard to experience our “fly better” proposition across all classes.”

On the commencement of Emirates’ services to Montréal, Philippe Rainville – President and Chief Executive Officer of ADM Aéroports de Montréal said: “ADM Aéroports de Montréal is delighted to welcome one of the world’s most prestigious airlines to YUL for the first time. This is an exceptional opportunity for our passengers to live the Emirates experience on a flight that will take them nonstop to the majestic city of Dubai. For an international airport like ours, this is particularly exciting news, especially since this route will offer arrivals and departures at less busy times of the day. It’s very much in line with ADM’s goal of offering more connections to popular destinations outside of peak travel times. We are very privileged that Emirates has chosen YUL as the second Canadian airport for its operations in the country.”

Emirates’ flights to and from Montréal operate as EK243 and EK244. The daily flight departs Dubai International airport at 02:30hrs, arriving in Montréal at 08:00hrs local time. The return flight departs Montréal Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport at 10:20hrs, arriving in Dubai at 06:30hrs (local time) the next day.

The new daily service to Montréal complements Emirates’ seven weekly services to Toronto and takes the airline’s North American network to 14 destinations and a total of 18 across the Americas. The service will provide travellers from Canada convenient access to Dubai, as well as connectivity to popular destinations such as Lebanon, India, Iran, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal added: ‘’This new direct flight is an important step in the expansion of our air network and reinforces our position as a leading tourist destination. It opens up countless opportunities for both leisure and business travellers. Thank you to Emirates for making Montréal more accessible than ever to travellers from all over the world wishing to discover Montréal’s rich culture, diverse gastronomy and vibrant festivals. Welcome to Montréal!”