Virgin Atlantic is set to make a grand return to Canada with a new direct route between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and London Heathrow (LHR). This is the airline’s first Canadian route in more than a decade, connecting two major financial centers and expanding its North American footprint.
The daily service, scheduled to launch on March 30, 2025, will feature Virgin Atlantic’s A330-900neo aircraft. These aircraft feature the airline’s onboard social space, wireless charging and chic design, ensuring passengers a luxurious experience at 30,000 feet.
This new route is designed to meet the needs of business travelers, especially those in the banking and equities industries, providing a seamless connection between Toronto and London. Additionally, the service will improve travel options for Canadians traveling to India, with convenient connections to Mumbai (BOM) and Delhi (DEL) via London Heathrow, offering an average layover of just 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Further connections will be available to destinations such as Bengaluru (BLR), Lagos (LOS), Johannesburg (JNB) and Tel Aviv (TLV).
Virgin Atlantic’s existing joint venture partnerships with Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM will complement this new service and ensure robust connectivity between Canada and Europe. The airline’s codeshare agreements with EL AL and Middle East Airlines also provide expanded travel options to Tel Aviv (TLV) and Beirut (BEY).
In an effort to improve regional connectivity, Virgin Atlantic is expanding its commercial partnership with Canadian airline WestJet, launching in October 2024. This partnership will allow passengers to travel seamlessly across Canada, including flights from Ottawa (YOW) and Winnipeg (YWG) . Frequent flyers of both airlines can look forward to earning and redemption benefits from 2025. Commenting on the development, Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, expressed his enthusiasm. “We are incredibly excited to be back in Canada and launching this new service between Toronto and London. With its vibrant film, sports, dining and entertainment scene, we know Canadians will enjoy traveling with us to London, a city that also celebrates art and culture and encourages discovery.”
Khalil Lamrabet, Chief Commercial Officer and Interim Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, added: “Demand for travel between Toronto and London is strong. In 2023, more than one million passengers flew between the two international cities, making the route our largest international long-haul market. We are delighted to welcome Virgin Atlantic to Toronto Pearson. This is a big win not only in terms of capacity, but also in terms of choice, into and beyond London.”
