An Etihad Airways Airbus A350 has successfully completed the maiden flight of a brand-new service to Toronto in Canada, as announced by the UAE-based carrier in July 2024.
The Airbus A350-1000, registered A6-XWE, left Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport (AUH) on October 27, 2024, at 03:19 local time and arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) 14 hours later, shortly after 09:30.
The Etihad Airbus A350 service to Toronto offers 44 seats in the airline’s latest ‘Business Studios’ configuration, which gives each guest enhanced privacy within their own suite.
The Etihad A350-1000 carries 347 passengers in economy class, with 45 seats offering extra legroom as an ‘economy plus’ option.
In a further commitment to travel to Canada, from November 1, 2024, Etihad will also commence daily flights to Boston, just six months after the airline introduced the US city as its fifth destination in North America.
Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De said: “We have seen significant demand on our Boston and Toronto routes. This expanding capacity gives our North American corporate and leisure travelers greater choice and flexibility when planning trips to the UAE and beyond to the Gulf region and the Indian subcontinent.”
Etihad’s 42 weekly flights to North America now include a twice-daily service to New York and daily operations to Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Washington DC.
De added: “The introduction of our A350 to Toronto and expanding to daily services to Boston reflect our ambitious growth plans in 2024, set to take another major leap at the end of November when we announce an exciting lineup of new destinations.”
According to ch-aviation, Etihad currently operates a fleet of five Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, with a further 15 being on order.