Aer Lingus recorded two firsts today (Monday 14th April): the launch of its inaugural flight from Dublin to Toronto and the first operation from Dublin of the Boeing B757 aircraft recently added to its transatlantic fleet.
The new service will operate year-round with a daily service between Dublin and Toronto during the summer season and up to four weekly services operating during the winter. This is the fourth transatlantic route launch in recent months and forms part of Aer Lingus’s significant transatlantic growth plan in 2014, which includes”
- New routes from Dublin to Toronto and San Francisco
- Addition of three B757 aircraft to the long-haul fleet
- Almost doubling of frequency on services from Shannon to Boston and New York
- Creation of more than 200 new jobs
Aer Lingus customers travelling from over 20 UK and Continental European cities via Dublin to Toronto will also have the option to connect to eight key cities within Canada, including Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary.
Stephen Kavanagh, Aer Lingus Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, said: “Aer Lingus is delighted to add a direct service to Canada to its network. Toronto is a very important market in terms of business and tourism links and the city is home to a growing Irish community. The service also opens up connection to key cities within Canada, allowing for ease of connection to onward flights. We look forward to welcoming new customers on board.”
Vincent Harrison, Dublin Airport Managing Director, said that the airport was delighted to see Aer Lingus launching a new direct year-round service to Toronto. “This new Aer Lingus Toronto service is part of a major increase in services to Canada this summer, giving customers more choice and convenience. We have been working with Aer Lingus to promote this Toronto route, and we look forward to continuing to work closely together in the future.”
Colin Grant, Chief Executive, Air Contractors, said “We congratulate Aer Lingus on the expansion of its North American services and the launch of this Toronto route that will hugely benefit Irish business and tourism. As an Irish airline, Air Contractors and the ASL Aviation Group are proud to support Aer Lingus with the expansion of the Boeing 757 operation to include Dublin, and we expect the aircraft and the route to be very popular with passengers.”
To support the operation of the new routes from Dublin to Toronto and from Shannon to New York and Boston, Aer Lingus has wet leased three B757s from ASL Aviation Group. The aircraft are configured with an Economy and Business Class cabin. Business travellers will have the same level of service, with gourmet meals, sleeper seats and an extensive inflight entertainment selection.
