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Air Canada Pulls Plug on Daily Flights From Glasgow to Toronto Carrier Scraps Service After Feeling Heat From Low-Cost Rivals

Posted on: Wednesday, 26 October 2005, 15:01 CDT

By DAVID LEASK Chief Reporter

AIR Canada today dropped Glasgow Airport's flagship flights to Toronto.

The airline has pulled out of Scotland after more than 60 years amid fierce competition from a new breed of transatlantic low-cost carriers.

Air Canada flew daily to Toronto from Glasgow every summer, usually from May to October.

But today it said it would not be back next year, citing "schedule changes" rather than competition.

Budget operators such as Zoom, the Canadian airline set up by Scots travel entrepreneurs John and Hugh Boyle, have been offering far lower fares.

Zoom, charter firm Air Transat and Glasgow-based travel firm Canadian Affair have been offering returns to Toronto for under GBP200.

Flights on Air Canada, which offers all the frills you would expect of a full-service flagcarrier, can cost more than twice as much.

A spokesman said: "Due to flight changes in advance of next year's schedules, Air Canada has decided it will not be providing direct services from Glasgow to Canada during 2006.

"Air Canada is committed to the Scottish market and will continue to offer convenient connections through our partners BMI to a range of services to Canada from London Heathrow.

"Air Canada will honour commitments to its customers and will offer alternative flight options to those affected."

The Air Canada move comes despite booming demand for flights to Canada.

Traffic on routes from Glasgow to Canada jumped 10-per cent last year to an all-time high.

Toronto is the second most popular long-haul destination from Glasgow after Dubai.

Zoom, Air Transat and Canadian Affair, which charters flights from Thomas Cook Airlines, are all said to be upbeat about the market.

Zoom's co-owner, John Boyle, said: "We are extremely proud to be the only scheduled airline now offering direct services from Glasgow to Canada."

Despite fears of overcapacity on routes to Canada from Scotland, aviation insiders believe Air Canada could come back - eventually.

Ironically, Air Canada was one of the airlines that lobbied for Glasgow Airport to be given the right to operate transatlantic flights.

It switched to Glasgow 15 years ago after around 45 years flying from Prestwick, Scotland's first long-haul gateway.

A Glasgow Airport spokesman said: "We are disappointed to lose Air Canada's seasonal service to Toronto. However, passengers flying from Glasgow remain well served.

"We are currently talking to a number of airlines about providing increased capacity next summer to meet the strong demand for flights to Toronto."

Gulf air giant Emirates will start operating the world's longest passenger jet from Glasgow, an extended Boeing 777, on its Dubai route on December 15.

david. leask@eveningtimes. co. uk

Source: Evening Times; Glasgow (UK)

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