ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES BRINGS A350 TO TORONTO
An Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350 made its debut at Toronto Pearson International airport on Nov. 10.
“We’re excited about the arrival of our Airbus 350 to Toronto, a city where we have been flying direct now for over seven years,” said Samson Arega, Ethiopian Airlines Canada country manager. “Canada is a very important market for us, and we are committed to providing our customers with the ultimate travel experience.”
Ethiopian Airlines flies direct from Toronto to Addis Ababa five times weekly. The biggest airline in Africa with one of the youngest fleets in the world, Ethiopian Airlines, a Star Alliance member, is currently the only African operator of the Airbus A350.
Airbus features include inflight WiFi connection that enables passengers with smart devices to connect to the world, while others can use smart individual touch screens on their seats. With the state-of-the-art broadband satellite technology, passengers have reliable connectivity for sending emails, shopping online or even chatting on social media, while flying over the clouds.
All seats are fitted with the latest high-definition touchscreen personal monitors and a higher selection of movies, television series and audio channels.
A link to Virtual Tour of the Airbus A350 is found at https://bit.ly/2WBb4X7.
A350XWB technology improves performance in operation. It features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into “unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions in addition to significantly lower maintenance costs.”
TAP ADDS NEW MONTREAL ROUTE
TAP Air Portugal is adding two new routes from North American in 2020, with non-stop service between Montreal and Lisbon and Boston and Ponta Delgada, in the Azores.
Both new routes will be operated with new Airbus A321LR aircraft and will launch by summer 2020.
TAP plans to operate six weekly frequencies between Lisbon and Montreal, and five weekly frequencies between Boston and Ponta Delgada.
TAP has been steadily increasing its operations from North America over the past several years. The airline earlier announced it is adding 15 weekly flights from Canada and the US by summer 2020. These new routes and frequency increases means TAP expects to carry an additional 390,000 travellers between Portugal and North America next year. Currently, TAP carries almost a million passengers annually on the North American routes, up 250% since 2015.
PORTER BREWS NEW PARTNERSHIPS
Porter Airlines is brewing new relationships with local Ontario brands Balzac’s Coffee Roasters and Sloane Fine Tea Merchants.
As of Dec. 1, Porter started serving a Balzac’s dark roast blend and an assortment of artisan Sloane teas across its network as part of its renowned complimentary inflight service. According to officials, these airline partnerships give passengers the ability to taste some of the best coffee and tea Canada has to offer.
Porter, Balzac’s and Sloane are the perfect blend of partners. Each has its roots in Ontario and successfully built loyal followings by providing premium products and customer-first experiences. Balzac’s and Sloane are iconic beverage brands with esteemed reputations for their commitment to quality. Coffee and tea are staples of the Porter experience, with approximately 1.2 million cups served on board every year. Hot beverages will be provided in a custom Balzac’s cup featuring Mr. Porter, the airline’s cheeky graphic raccoon brand mascot.
Balzac’s Coffee Roasters roasts the finest selection of Arabica beans in small batches at their state-of-the-art roasting facility in Ancaster, Ont. On-board, passengers will enjoy a full-bodied dark roast blend named A Dark Affair, boasting a rich and vibrant taste with notes of dark chocolate and roasted almond.
Sloane Fine Tea Merchants focuses on enhancing the nuances of each of their teas, which are 100% blended and packaged in Canada. Passengers may choose from a range of caffeinated and caffeine-free artisan teas on board. Available flavours are Classic Black, Earl Grey, Classic Green, Calming Chamomile, and Mint Medley.
