Air Canada announced today it will be offering non-stop international flights from Ottawa to London Heathrow Airport beginning next spring.
Flights will operate four times weekly with Air Canada’s Dreamliner fleet beginning March 31, 2025.
“We are very pleased to solidify Air Canada’s leadership serving our country’s capital with the resumption of trans-Atlantic services beginning next spring,” said Mark Galardo, executive vice-president of revenue and network planning at Air Canada, in a news release. “In addition to London being a top global destination, Heathrow is one of the world’s primary global gateways as well as home to Air Canada’s largest international operations.
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“With continued demand for visiting friends, relatives, leisure and tourism, as well as supporting business and corporate travel, this route gives customers from both the National Capital Region and abroad direct, convenient international travel options to and from Ottawa,” he added.
It will be the first time Air Canada has operated non-stop flights from Ottawa to London since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that YOW is once again connected, non-stop, to London-Heathrow Airport. As a key destination for government officials, business leaders, and leisure travellers worldwide, having Canada’s capital region back in the London mix elevates Ottawa-Gatineau on the global stage,” said Mark Laroche, president and CEO of the Ottawa International Airport Authority, in the news release.
Michael Crockatt, president and CEO of Ottawa Tourism, said the flights will make it easier for visitors from the UK, Ottawa’s “top overseas market,” to travel to Ottawa. “Regardless of the reasons for travel, the tourism and hospitality businesses in Canada’s capital are ready to warmly welcome visitors,” he added.
The announcement is a “big win” for Ottawa, said Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe in the news release.
“Ottawa residents and business owners have been hoping and calling for a return of direct non-stop service to London. The restored flight will boost our local economy, increase tourism, and connect two world capitals,” he said. “It will make it easier for residents to travel abroad, tourists to visit Ottawa, and businesses to launch and expand in our city.”
Air Canada also said it awaits the delivery of the 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 with year-round service,” said Galardo.
The announcement comes as Air Canada plans to expand its services from Ottawa to points across Canada and sun leisure destinations this winter. The airline plans to operate up to 229 weekly flights to and from Ottawa next year.
The route is “welcome news” for Ottawa, Steve Ball, president of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association, told OBJ.
“The U.K. is an important feeder market for us,” he said in an email. “Along with Air France’s direct flight, we are opening up Europe and access to other countries through one transfer.
“This will help boost local tourism and allow Ottawa Tourism to attract more international meetings and conventions,” Ball explained.
As tourism in Ottawa continues to recover from the pandemic, corporate and business travel has been the slowest to return, Ball told OBJ in July.
Ian Lee, associate professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, teaches about the airline industry every term and says he “applauds” this “strategic” decision from Air Canada.
Although the flights will open doors for more business travel, Lee said he suspects the majority of customers will be tourists looking to avoid flying through Montreal or Toronto. And this is good news for Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, he said.
“There’s enough business and customers to support it economically, because you have to break even on these flights for it to make sense,” Lee explained. “But I think it was a good, sound, clever strategic move by Air Canada to bring back the direct point-to-point to London.”
Lee, who recently flew direct to Paris through Air France, said eliminating long and “inconvenient” layovers will “remove barriers” for tourists, including those from all over Ontario who are looking to avoid flying through the busy airports in Montreal or Toronto.
“It’s a win-win-win,” he explained. “There’s no losers in this proposal, except for maybe (Toronto Pearson International Airport), which could lose some customers.
“But it is a win-win-win deal for the airline, for the city and for the tourism industry.”
