Qatar Airways ventures into Canada

Qatar Airways will begin direct thrice weekly flights to Montreal from June 29 onwards – the carrier’s first venture into Canada.

The service is facilitated by an aviation agreement between Canada and Qatar signed last year, granting Qatar the rights to fly into the country three times a week. Therefore, the carrier would be using its full quota of allowable services with this new route.

The service, operated by a dual-class Boeing B777-200, will run on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The flight will depart Doha at 0830 and arrive in Montreal Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport at 1450. The return leg will depart Montreal at 2315 and arrive back in Doha at 1840 the following day.

The link will not only provide Canadian passengers with seamless connections onwards to Asia but also ties the two countries in closer economic partnerships; according to the Export Development Canada agency, there are more than 1,500 Canadian companies doing business in the Gulf, with Qatar being the largest trading partner.

The aviation agreement was signed in sharp contrast to the five-year-long heated dispute between Canada and the UAE over flying rights. The situation peaked last year when Air Canada expressed fears that allowing the kingdom’s flagship carriers – Emirates and Etihad – additional flying rights would stump competition on transatlantic routes (see story here). In response, the UAE removed the visa on arrival facility for Canadian passport holders. Currently, both Emirates and Etihad Airways have rights to fly to Canada three times a week.

For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com

Alisha Haridasani