Marketing the Wild Atlantic Way to Canada and servicing the huge Irish diaspora will be made all the easier from next June when Air Canada commence their new service from Shannon Airport to Toronto.
Shannon Airport last evening welcomed the announcement by Air Canada of a new direct service from Shannon to Toronto operating from June 2 to October 13 2018. The service will operate four days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Outlining the potential for the service Andrew Murphy, Managing Director, Shannon Airport said: “The decision by Air Canada to introduce a direct service between Shannon and its hub in Toronto is fantastic news for the airport and for Ireland. The new service will undoubtedly provide a major boost for Irish tourism and create new trade opportunities.
“Canadian tourists are high spenders and businesses along the Wild Atlantic Way in particular will benefit as the route will deliver significant Canadian visitors directly to their doorstep. We look forward to working with Air Canada and our tourism trade partners to ensure the success of the new service.”
Acknowledging the major supportive role played by others in securing the new route Mr Murphy said: “We were delighted with the encouragement we received from Minister Pat Breen, the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland Kevin Vickers and the Irish Ambassador to Canada Jim Kelly, all of whom were of great assistance, along with Tourism Ireland, in facilitating Shannon Airport’s participation in a recent Trade Mission to Canada and ultimately securing the new service. Their support is very much appreciated.”
The service opens up trade and tourism opportunities as Toronto Pearson International airport is an Air Canada hub and from here passengers can connect to over 190 onward destinations on five continents.
Commenting on the significance of the announcement Matthew Thomas CEO, Shannon Group, whose previous role before joining Shannon Group was with the Vancouver based Vantage Airport Group said:
“Securing this direct Canadian service for Shannon has been one of our top priorities for some time now. Full credit is due to our Shannon Airport Aviation Development team for their phenomenal efforts which is seeing their hard work paying off. I would also like to acknowledge the role of our key stakeholders, Minister Breen and Ambassadors Vickers and Kelly whose efforts cannot be understated.
There are over 4.4 million Canadians of Irish descent, making the Irish among the largest ethnic groups in Canada.
