Air Canada has announced a new year-round service between Toronto and Brussels, to begin a few months after Brussels Airlines discontinues the route.
The Belgian flag carrier’s Toronto link will end on January 7, 2020, while its Canadian counterpart’s will start on May 1, 2020.
With both airlines members of the Star Alliance network, they have said the route will be timed to allow passengers to connect onto each other’s networks at Toronto and Brussels.
Air Canada will operate the route with a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, configured with business, premium economy and economy class.
Meanwhile Brussels Airlines has announced it will launch summer season flights to Montreal in March 2020.
It will be operated by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft with three classes, including its new premium economy product.
Brussels Airlines unveils new long-haul cabins with premium economy class
With the remaining aircraft capacity in winter, it will increase its summer Washington DC service to year-round from February 20. The route will run daily in summer and four times a week in winter.
Brussels said that passengers booked on its Toronto service after January 7 would be offered alternative travel solutions.
The new schedules are:
Air Canada, Toronto-Brussels
- AC886: Departs Toronto 1830, arrives Brussels 0745 following day (Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun)
- AC887: Departs Brussels 1045, arrives Toronto 1245 (Mon,Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun)
Brussels Airlines, Brussels-Montreal
- SN561: Departs Brussels 1015, arrives Montreal 1205 (Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun)
- SN562: Departs Montreal 1825, arrives Brussels 0710 following day (Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun)
Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s VP of network planning, said the new route would “conveniently connect our extensive North American network through our Toronto Pearson global hub directly to Brussels, where our Star Alliance partner Brussels Airlines offers far-reaching connections throughout Europe and Africa.”
Frederic Dechamps, senior sales director at Brussels Airlines, commented:
“Montreal is a real added value for the Brussels Airlines network.
“It is a strong market out of Belgium, with over 75,000 potential travellers a year. Montreal is very relevant both for business and leisure travellers, and the appealing destination can easily be stimulated for both individual and group travel.”
In August, Air Canada announced a new year-round service between Montreal and Toulouse that will begin on June 4, 2020 and run five-times weekly.
