From October, travellers can fly direct to Vancouver from Dubai with Air Canada. Photo: Unsplash
From October, travellers can fly direct to Vancouver from Dubai with Air Canada. Photo: Unsplash
From October, travellers can fly direct to Vancouver from Dubai with Air Canada. Photo: Unsplash
From October, travellers can fly direct to Vancouver from Dubai with Air Canada. Photo: Unsplash

Air Canada launches first direct flights from Vancouver to Dubai


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Air Canada is expanding into the Middle East with new direct flights from Vancouver to Dubai.

The flights will be the only non-stop service from western Canada to any destination in the Middle East.

Air Canada flights from Vancouver International Airport will operate to DXB, the world's busiest international airport, four times per week, starting on October 28.

The airline will operate flights on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, with three choices of cabin, including premium economy.

Flight time to the port city in British Colombia will be a little more than 15 hours. Tickets are available now, with return fares starting from Dh3,500.

From Dubai, Air Canada's new flights will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2am. The first service from the UAE will depart on October 30.

Travellers departing Vancouver International Airport for Dubai will be able to travel on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with a nighttime flight that departs just before 9pm.

Air Canada's flights between Vancouver and Dubai are the only non-stop services connecting British Colombia with the Middle East. Photo: Air Canada
Air Canada's flights between Vancouver and Dubai are the only non-stop services connecting British Colombia with the Middle East. Photo: Air Canada

“I am thrilled to see direct flights connecting Dubai to Vancouver for the first time. Vancouver is the gateway to Canada’s Pacific Coast, a region that offers a wealth of tourism attractions and features world class education institutions. This new link will elevate the Canada-UAE relationship and enable more trade and investment between our two countries," Jean-Philippe Linteau, consul general of Canada in Dubai, told The National.

The route is Air Canada's second to Dubai, joining the airline's daily service between Toronto and Dubai.

"We are extremely pleased to add the only non-stop service linking Vancouver and Dubai, two iconic and vibrant global destinations," said Mark Galardo, senior vice president, network planning and revenue management, at Air Canada.

"Dubai is one of the top destinations worldwide renowned for its extraordinary landmarks, rich culture and entertainment. Vancouver is a top cosmopolitan destination, and this new route offers additional ease to global visitors looking to experience BC's spectacular natural beauty, range of outdoor activities and exciting adventures," Galardo added.

More flights between Canada and the UAE

Air Canada's new Vancouver to Dubai service is the latest addition to the flight network between the UAE and Canada following an agreement last week between the two destinations to boost bilateral flight services.

Etihad will begin daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Toronto in May. Courtesy Etihad
Etihad will begin daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Toronto in May. Courtesy Etihad

Etihad Airways revised its Canadian services following the pact. From May 30, the national airline of the UAE will operate daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Toronto, in "response to strong travel demand between the UAE and Canada".

Emirates is also upping flights with daily superjumbo A380 services to Toronto starting this month, a move that adds almost 2,000 weekly seats on the Dubai airline's only route to Canada.

Last year, Emirates and Air Canada signed a codeshare deal covering 46 destinations across North America, the Middle East, Africa, South-East Asia and India.

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

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Champions parade (UAE timings)

7pm Gates open

8pm Deansgate stage showing starts

9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral

9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street

10pm City players on stage

11pm event ends

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

Updated: April 14, 2023, 5:31 AM