Emirates is launching a new daily service from Dubai International to Montreal, which will become the airline's second gateway in Canada after Toronto.
The move follows a recent air transport agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Canada, which has increased the number of flights available between the two countries by 50%. Under the new agreement, each country will now be allotted 21 flights per week.
From 5 July, Emirates will offer daily flights to Montreal Trudeau (YUL) using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The route will complement the carrier’s existing service to Toronto Pearson, which has operated since 2007.
“With our expanded reach into the country, we look forward to facilitating new trade lanes, which will bring a host of benefits to Canadian businesses and exporters in addition to promoting tourism into more cities and generating more jobs across all sectors, including those directly serving the aviation industry,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates' chief commercial officer.
The UAE is Canada’s largest export market in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2022, bilateral trade between Canada and the UAE exceeded C$2.6 billion ($1.9 billion), growing 53% over the last five years. According to Statistics Canada, it is estimated the UAE’s foreign direct investments stock in Canada was valued at C$1.3 billion ($960 million) in 2021.
Canada also features in Dubai’s top 20 source markets for inbound tourism with 158,000 Canadian visitors in 2022, more than double the number in 2021, according to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.
Earlier this month, Emirates confirmed plans to grow service between Dubai and Toronto by adding two Airbus A380 flights per week from April 20, taking the route to daily. Meanwhile, Etihad will increase Abu Dhabi-Toronto to daily from May 30. Air Canada has also announced the launch of service between Vancouver and Dubai International, operating four times per week from Oct. 28.
Emirates and Air Canada started a codeshare partnership last November, with Air Canada placing its code on routes operated by Emirates from Dubai to cities including Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Emirates also began placing its code on Air Canada flights from Toronto Pearson to the likes of Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.
Through an enhanced interline arrangement, Emirates said passengers would be able to connect to 68 points from Montreal on Air Canada’s network, including to destinations in the U.S., Mexico, South America and the Caribbean.
Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest in Canada. The route increases Emirates’ network to 18 points in the Americas—with two in Canada and 12 in the U.S. alongside Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
The Dubai service also becomes Montreal’s fourth nonstop connection to the Middle East. Data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows that Qatar Airways serves the Canadian city daily from Doha, while Air Canada flies to Tel Aviv once a week and Royal Jordanian offers a 2X-weekly route from Amman.
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