Toronto - June 1 st, 2009 - Emirates Airline’s gigantic 'Airbus 380' landed in Toronto safely this afternoon at 3:45pm. Approximately 200 aviation enthusiasts pulled their cars over on Hwy 401 (just north of Toronto) to witness the historical landing into Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. The airliner which carries 489 passengers (on both levels), seemed to be gliding in slow motion as it descended onto Canadian ground. The double-decker A380 is the world’s largest airplane and flies out of Dubai, UAE daily. After 3 years of readying Pearson to accept such a large aircraft, Toronto is now ready to accommodate the Emirates’ plane - 3 times a week in non-stop Toronto to Dubai flights. – GB



The luxurious plane has 14 "suites" in its first-class section and 76 "lie-flat" seats in its business section. The lower deck features 339 economy seats.
You can even shower while in flight. The first-class seats with the best views and the most perks go for about $10,000 a flight.
"This is an extremely exciting day for us," Lloyd McComb, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said this morning in a  press release.


"We have been anticipating this amazing aircraft for a long time and today will be the culmination of years of work to get this airport ready to welcome an airplane of this magnitude."


The A380 is one of the most efficient of passenger aircraft, using less than three litres of fuel per 100 km flown per passenger space.
"We are extremely pleased to provide the A380 for our Dubai-Toronto service, which has had consistently strong demand since the three-times weekly route was launched in October 2007," Emirates President Tim Clark said earlier when the flight was originally announced.


"In fact, the demand has been so high, it will only allow Emirates to address some of the unmet need of the Toronto market," he said.
The introduction of the new plane comes a century after the first manned flight took place in Canada.


Despite a troubled economic climate, which has hit the airline industry particularly hard, Clark said Emirates recently hired its 500th employee for its Canadian operation.


"Despite the current economic difficulties, this is good news for the Canadian economy," Clark said. "We believe you need a long-term view. By adding this new ultra-efficient aircraft to Toronto, we are increasing trade and tourism capacity, but the three-flights-a-week restriction remains a disappointment."


Dubai has been one of Canada's fastest-growing export markets in recent years and the airline has been lobbying Ottawa air transportation authorities for additional access to Pearson for a decade.
The airline is adding a fifth A380 to its arsenal to serve the Canadian market.

"Passengers are in for a treat when they fly on the Emirates A380," said Nigel Page, Emirates Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations, The Americas.


"The aircraft features shower spas in the first class cabin, an onboard lounge and our services include an extensive menu of multi-course meal options, created by top international chefs as well as ... over 1200 channels of entertainment," said Page.


Emirates is owned by the government of Dubai.
A spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said last week that there has been intense media and public interest in the A380 landing.


A reception is being held at the Emirates location in Terminal 1 to celebrate the flight. Another special media area has been set up airside by the GTAA just to allow photographers to capture the arrival of the plane.
The return flight to Dubai leaves at 9:40 p.m.