Summary
Air Canada resumes Ottawa-London flights March 31, 2025, with a four-times-weekly service using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Heathrow hub critical as Air Canada seeks to connect Ottawa travelers to Europe, Asia, and Africa via Star Alliance partners.
New A321XLR fleet could enhance Ottawa-London route post-October 2025, optimizing capacity and operational efficiency.
On Wednesday, Air Canada announced it would resume flights from Ottawa to London Heathrow, introducing a four-times-weekly seasonal nonstop service commencing March 31, 2025. Air Canada, the national flag carrier and a foundation member of the Star Alliance, is the only Canadian airline connecting the nation’s capital city and seat of government to Europe, boosting that connectivity with the new London service.
Connecting the Capitals
The seasonal route will operate from March 31, 2025, until October 25, 2025, with departures on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Monday and Thursday, flight AC888 will depart Ottawa International Airport (YOW) at 18:40 and arrive at London Heathrow at 06:30 the following day, while on Wednesday and Saturday, it leaves YOW at 20:55 and lands in London at 08:35 the following day.
Photo: GingChen | Shutterstock
The return service, flight AC889, departs London Heathrow (LHR) at 14:05 on Monday and Thursday and arrives in Ottawa at 16:35, while on Wednesday and Saturday, it leaves London at 12:40 and returns to the Canadian capital at 15:20. Air Canada said it will use a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on this route and it has 787-8s and 787-9s to choose from.
Photo: Air Canada
Yesterday, Air Canada Executive Vice President – Revenue and Network Planning Mark Galardo said that in addition to London being a top global destination, Heathrow is one of the world’s primary global gateways and home to Air Canada’s largest international operations. He added:
“Conveniently located together with our Star Alliance partner airlines in The Queens Terminal, Air Canada offers customers easy connections to a vast array of more than 30 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa with our airline partners.”
A slot for the A321XLR
Galardo also said the route gives customers from both the National Capital Region and abroad direct, convenient international travel options to and from Ottawa. Next year, Air Canada will operate up to 229 weekly flights to and from Ottawa across a range of regional, domestic, international and transborder flights, so it has designated Ottawa as a test location for trialing and refining customer service initiatives.
The first Air Canada Airbus A321XLR is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Airlines are always looking to match capacity to demand by optimizing their fleets, and Air Canada has ordered the long-range Airbus A321XLR, which will be an effective airliner for opening new, thinner routes or boosting frequencies on popular sectors in conjunction with widebody jets.
Photo: Air Canada
When announcing the London Heathrow route, Galardo mentioned the A321XLR as an option for this service:
“We are looking forward to the future delivery of Air Canada’s new Airbus A321XLR fleet. The economics, optimum cabin size and range of the XLR, which is expected to begin arriving in late 2025, will enable us to consider operating this important international route with greater frequencies and potentially year-round service.”
That’s an interesting comment, as the Ottawa – London route has been announced as a seasonal service that will end in October 2025, around the time when the A321XLR is expected to join the airline’s fleet. It could be that the smaller but more economical new-generation single-aisle aircraft will prove an ideal choice for the quieter winter months on this premium route.
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Publish date : 2024-08-14 19:40:00
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