Recently Canada’s largest airline, Air Canada, announced to India the expansion of its flight network, which they hope to add 40 percent more seat capacity and hoping to start in late October for the coming winter 2024-25 season. The country’s flag carrier said this winter it will operate 25 weekly flights with 7,400 seats each week from Canada to India, including up to 11 weekly flights. This includes daily flights from Montreal to Delhi, flights from Toronto to Delhi and Mumbai, and daily flights to Delhi from Western Canada via London Heathrow.
In an official press release, Air Canada said that the new services include the only non-stop flight from Canada to Mumbai, better service from Western Canada to Delhi with the introduction of the latest daily flights from Montreal to Delhi, and daily flights over London’s Heathrow Airport. The carrier will function 25 weekly flights to India, the most inclusive offering of any airline between Canada and India. Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada said that India is an important market for Air Canada, reflecting longstanding and growing family and trade ties between our two countries. To Mumbai and Delhi, we are excited to expand our network by building more scale at our hubs in time for Diwali festivities this fall.
Galardo also added that, With new non-stop flights from Toronto to Mumbai, the addition of new flights to Delhi from Western Canada via London Heathrow, together with the unparalleled connectivity from our robust North American network, we are solidifying Air Canada as the leading airline that offers many travel options between Canada and India. According to a recent release, the Toronto-Mumbai flight, the only non-stop flight that connects to two of the largest cities in both countries, will be operated with Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. In Canada, The Indian diaspora is about 1.8 million strong. Another one million Non-Resident Indians are living in the country.
Bonds between Canada and India came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Khalistani separatist in this country. New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”. The main problem has been that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistani elements which is happening from Canadian soil with impunity.
