Air Canada opposes Gulf carriers' expansion in Canada

Just days after launching a thrice-weekly service between Toronto and Dubai, Air Canada has stated that it will oppose any moves by the Canadian government to free up more flight slots for Gulf carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways.

As per Gulf News, Duncan Bureau, Air Canada’s vice president of global sales was quoted as saying: “The capacity that is currently being deployed [between Canada and the UAE] is more than adequate to service the true demand.”

Currently, both Emirates and Etihad are only allowed to only operate three weekly flights between Dubai and Toronto. The political red tape also restricts both carriers from expanding their presence in Canada, including high-profile cities such as Vancouver and Montreal.  

Following the October 19 elections that saw Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party voted into office, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority director general, Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi told Gulf News that he planned to discuss the “requirements of our carriers” with the new government.

Business class on B787

Meanwhile, Air Canada’s strong stance is understandable given the ongoing Open Skies spat in the US (see here), in which American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have claimed that the “Big Three” Gulf carriers are receiving unfair advantages over their competitors due to the subsidies and government industrial policies that favour their business.   

Air Canada’s thrice-weekly service is operated by both the B787-8 and B787-9 aircraft. The complete flight schedule is as follows:

For more information, aircanada.com 

Clement Huang